The Blind Side
by angelicmisskitty
Summary: Oliver meets Felicity during his vacation in Marbella. All it takes is a broken foot, a broken arm and some sunscreen to draw Olivers attention. What happened to her? Will Oliver get the chance to find out more about her? And will Felicity find out about Oliver's past? Olicity AU - no Island, no Arrow, only a Playboy past and a rich Queen family. :D
1. Pool Side

It was a sunny Friday afternoon in Marbella.

The Hotel Pool wasn't too crowded and Oliver was glad he had the chance to relax a bit and enjoy the sun. His sister Thea occupied the lounge bed next to him and talked to their mother. Oliver put his sunglasses on and looked around the Pool when he spotted woman being carried bridal-style out to the Pool area. The guy carrying the woman was slightly older than her, but she seemed to be Olivers age, maybe a few years younger than him. Both her left foot and her left hand were in a cast and she had a large band-aid on her left thigh. Despite the obvious injuries she was beautiful, long blonde hair falling down in slight locks over her shoulders, wearing a white sundress and sunglasses. The guy set her down at a vacant sun bed a few spots down the line where Oliver occupied the space. Oliver could see the guy say something to the blonde woman and then turn around and leave the Pool area.  
Oliver watched the woman slowly sit down on the lounge chair and strip off her sundress before placing it on the foot of the lounger. Oliver can't bring himself to look away, especially not after seeing her toned body in the magnificent black Bikini with gold highlights and the huge tattooed angel wings that cover nearly her entire back. He's surprised, when he first spotted her being carried to the pool she didn't look like the tattoo-type of woman. Heck, even now she doesn't. Her face is flawless except for a bruise on the cheekbone and he wonders what could have happened to her. Her movement is very slow and calculated and Oliver guesses it's because of all the injuries that cover her body.

"Maybe she has been in a car accident." He thinks to himself.

When she relaxes her back into the lounger and stretches her legs, for the first time Oliver can see how small and petite she actually is. She's much shorter than him, and her body barely covers half of the lounger. She seems to have a smile on her face the entire time but keeps staring straight forward, not paying her surroundings any attention.

The minutes passed since that guy brought her out to the Pool and Oliver wondered when her carrier ("Partner?") might return.  
It takes his sister several attempts at yelling at him before Oliver even noticed someone calling his name.

"Earth to Ollie! Stop ogling that woman and pay me some attention, thanks!" Thea pouted.

Oliver lifted his sunglasses and gave his sister a look. "I'm not ogling anyone! What do you want, Speedy?"

"Well it took me 3 full attempts to get your attention and your eyes were fixed on the girl next to us so yeah, definitely ogling, big brother. Anyway, Mom and I are heading down to the marina to grab some lunch. Wanna join?"

"I'm not hungry, so I'll pass this time. I'll stick around here a little longer and will probably head out with Tommy later once he's back from his shopping tour with Laurel. You can tell mom she doesn't need to wait for me, it will probably be getting late tonight. But have a good time!" he smiled and turned back into the lounger, putting the sunglasses back on his nose. Thea shrugged, gathered her stuff and left the Pool area to head back to her Hotel room and join her Mom on their way to Dinner.

When his sister was out of sight, Oliver took another glance to his left where the blonde woman still occupied her lounge bed. It had been a good 30 minutes now since she arrived at the Pool and still no sight of her partner ("Yeah, she's definitely not single."). When Oliver saw her starting to move up, trying to put sunblocker on her back and legs with her good hand but struggling to reach her back properly, he hesitated for a moment, unsure on what to do. Should he go over and offer a hand? Or would that be too personal, especially since she had a male partner arriving with her, though that one was nowhere to be seen right now? When she finished putting the lotion on her legs and gave it another try with her back but failing once more, Oliver got up and walked over to her.

"Can I help you with that?"  
The woman jumped at the sound of Olivers voice and her head snapped to the right to where Oliver stood, a few feet away from her.  
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I just sat over there and saw you struggling to put sunscreen on your back with that cast on your arm. So I thought I'd offer a hand – no pun intended." he apologized and tried to cheer up the situation.

The woman just sat there and didn't move a muscle, sunscreen still in hand, staring in Olivers direction through her sunglasses. Oliver started shifting from one foot to the other, unsure on what to do. Should he just head back to his lounger and pretend the last few minutes didn't happen? Obviously that woman wasn't interested to even talk to him, let alone getting her back creamed by him.  
Oh crap, did she even speak his language? He was in a different country after all. What if she didn't understand him and thought he tried to hook her up or something?  
"Yeah, definitely NOT the smartest move, Queen" he thought to himself.

When he was ready to head back to his lounger, the woman started to speak.

"Uh… sorry, what?" Her voice sounded so feminine and breakable and Oliver loved it already, even after these mere 3 words.

"You seemed to have problems getting sunscreen onto your back, so I offered my help. But I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Obviously you have a partner who could do that for you, if he returns any time soon. So I'll just head back to my lounger." he said and started to move back to his place.

"Oh, uhm… that's not my partner. He's my nurse, actually, and he probably won't be back within the next 2 hours. So uhm… a little help would be great, if the offer still stands." She smiled at him and Oliver's heart skipped a beat.  
That bright smile made her even more beautiful than the slight smiling he saw her do the entire time before. Her face practically seemed to glow, even with all these bruises all over her body. Oliver had to try very hard not to stare at her until she spoke again.  
"Are you still there or am I talking to myself again?" She tilted her head into his direction a bit more.

"I'm sorry, I normally don't stare that much. Of course that offer still stands." Oliver said.  
He grabs the sunscreen from her hands and very gently starts moving her blonde hair and the loose straps of the bikini out of the way and over her shoulder. Her skin was soft and felt absolutely flawless under his palms.

"Oh I don't mind the staring. Obviously I couldn't care less if people stared at me right now, I'm sure with these casts and bruises I look like something the cat dragged in anyway." she joked.

Oliver squeezed a good amount of sun blocker into his hands and very gently started applying it onto her shoulders and over her Tattoo. He never had a tattooed girlfriend before and always wondered if inked skin felt any different. It didn't, and it amazed him even more.  
"What happened? If you don't mind asking."

The woman started to shift a bit on the lounger and Oliver regretted not asking a more casual question. Obviously she felt very uncomfortable talking about her injuries. "Oh, uhm… long story. The doctors said I'm stuck with the casts for a few more weeks and hopefully my eyesight will come back by then, too."

At her words Oliver stopped his movements and just stared at her. Did he hear her correctly? "You're blind?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm in Spain in the first place, actually. But it's just a temporary loss of eyesight and there's a Doctor in Marbella who specializes in fixing things like this – at least that's what my Doctors told me."

At her words Oliver started moving his hands again, focusing on the lower regions of her back. She seemed very tense and Oliver tried his best not to touch any inappropriate regions near her bikini bottom. When he was done, he placed the bottle of sunscreen into her hand again and stood up, unsure on what to do now. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them both and when the woman put the sunscreen away and relaxed into her lounger again, Oliver started to walk back to his spot.

"What's your name?" she asked him and her voice stopped him from moving back to his place once again.  
"Oliver, and yours?"  
"I'm Felicity." she smiled, stretching and relaxing her feet into the lounge bed.  
"Well, Oliver, I haven't heard you talking to anyone in the last 30 minutes, so I don't know if you're alone or with company, but would you like to talk to me for a while? It's crazy boring around here, I can't go in the pool and you're the very first person to speak to me in a language that I can actually understand." she laughed again and this time Oliver couldn't stop but starting to giggle as well.  
"My mom and my sister just left for lunch about half an hour ago, so no… I'm not having any company right now and of course I would like to talk to you. I'll just go and grab my stuff, give me a minute."

When Felicity heard a loud scratching on the floor, her head shot to the right side. She could feel someone moving closer to her and she wondered what Oliver might be doing right now. He must have seen her brows furrow over the not-so-silent way he chose to grab his stuff, and he chuckled.  
"It's actually easier for me to bring the entire lounge chair than just pack everything and then unpack it again on the bed next to you, so… yeah, call me lazy."

She let out a small laugh and Oliver had to admit he really liked her voice. It matched her petite and tiny form perfectly and he definitely wanted to hear more of it.  
"So… for how long will you be here, Oliver?" she asked him before he even got the chance to sit down on his lounger.  
"My mom and my sister will leave tomorrow, but I'll stick around a little longer, my best friend Tommy and his fiancée are currently picking out wedding locations and a spot for their Honeymoon and we'll head back home on Monday." he replied, while relaxing back into the lounger, sunglasses on his nose again, letting the Spanish sun warm his toned body.  
"What about you? Are you only with your nurse, or are there any other people traveling with you? I assume it must be difficult being in a different country all by yourself without being able to see anything."  
"I'm traveling alone, actually. The nurse isn't much of a help, to be honest, he seems to be enjoying the holidays way more than he's supposed to be. My mom couldn't come with me, work is keeping her pretty occupied, so yup… only me. I have to stick around here for another week before I can go back to Los Angeles and I'm sure this will be the most boring vacation I have ever taken. But I'm taking random pics with my phone and if any of these turn out to be good I can actually enjoy that vacation as soon as I can see again, so I'm good." Felicity laughs out and Oliver can't help but join her.

"So you're from Los Angeles?" Oliver tries to keep the conversation as casual as possible, not wanting to overstep any boundaries again by asking her about the injuries or any other uncomfortable topics.  
"Las Vegas, actually. But I moved to LA some years ago and have lived there ever since. My mom still lives and works in Vegas, though. What about you? I assume you're no from Spain, even though I can't see your face and body right now to guess what ethnic type you could be. Not that I would want to check you out – which I don't – or, I can't tell if I would check you out because I obviously can't see you. And I don't want to imply that you might be a fat guy that's not out-checkable… is that even a word? Oh my god what am I doing? I'm sorry, I tend to babble from time to time…"

Oliver laughed out loud. That woman had a serious brain – to – mouth dysfunction and he really liked it. Despite her babbling she seemed relaxed, and it really cheered him up.  
"Oh it's okay, you can totally check me out whenever you want to. I don't mind" he told her.

"Wait, so you're used to being checked out? What are you? A Model for Hollister Stores or something? Not that I'm saying I would only check out Models, which I totally don't, even though there are some pretty hot guys standing in front of their stores sometimes and oh my god I'm doing it again, right?" Oliver burst out laughing and with that Felicity smacked him right on his left thigh. His very well toned left thigh. Surprised at the contact of smooth skin and very toned muscles she pulled her hand back and stopped talking. Not that she expected to smack a fat, hairy leg, but that particular leg seemed to be very well shaped.  
"God damn, why do I have to lose my eyesight when I could actually use it?" she mumbled to herself.

They talked for another hour when Felicity's phone rang. She picked it up, swiped over the screen and took the call. Oliver watched in awe at how she managed to handle everything so easily without being able to see anything. When she ended the call and put her phone down, she turned her attention to Oliver again.  
"So, that was my nurse… he'll pick me up in 5 minutes – literally, because with this insane thing on my foot I can't walk around on my own. It was really nice talking to you, Oliver. Actually this has been the best day of my vacation here so far. Thank you for that." She gave him a bright honest smile and Oliver squeezed her shoulder slightly. "No need to thank me. I enjoyed it just as much as you did." he said.

When she started putting her white sundress back on and gathering all her stuff, Oliver realized he wanted to see her again, talk to her again. The last two hours had been the most relaxing conversation he had in months and he started to really like Felicity, even after just that one conversation. He just couldn't figure out how to approach her. Obviously he couldn't just give her his number and ask her to call him.

"Uhm, Felicity?" Hesitation clearly visible in his voice.  
"Yeah?"  
"Would you like to go to dinner with me? I mean, only if you're feeling comfortable, and we wouldn't even need to go out, we could eat in the Hotel's Restaurant. Only if you'd like to, of course."  
"You mean like a date?"

Oliver could see her thinking, her brows furrowed, considering if she should accept his offer or not. Or maybe she was just thinking for the most polite way to tell him she wasn't interested in seeing him again. He really didn't know and it made him very uncomfortable. Something he had never been before with any woman, he just realized.

"Oliver, I don't know if that would be a good idea. I mean, look at me, I can't even walk on my own let alone read a menu or hold a hold a fork properly. I wouldn't be the best company at a Restaurant and don't want to embarrass you." Oliver could see her face drop while she spoke, clearly not happy with what she had to tell him, but he was having none of that. He wanted to see her again, no matter what.  
"Felicity, you're no embarrassment to me only because you're injured and I really don't care what others think. All I'm interested in is having dinner with you. Please?"  
Felicity sighed. "Fine. I'm going to dinner with you. I think it's the least I can do after you agreed to be my company for today. But how should we do this? I mean, look at me. It's not that I can walk into a Restaurant and wait for you there."  
"I could pick you up at your room and we could head to the Restaurant together." Oliver suggested. "I can even organize a wheelchair for you so you won't have to walk with that thing on your feet."  
Without thinking about it too long, Felicity agreed. "Alright, let's do this. What about tonight? It's not that I have much to do here either and listening to Spanish TV channels isn't very satisfying, to be honest."

Oliver remembered having a date with Tommy tonight and quickly pulled out his phone send him a short text. He wasn't going to let this chance pass, so the drinking-date with Tommy would have to be re-scheduled. Tommy would understand.

"I would love to go to dinner with you tonight, Felicity." He smiled broadly at her and she seemed to notice and smiled back at him.  
Oliver saw her nurse approaching the Pool area where Felicity and him sat and quickly asked her for the details about their date.  
"Would 8pm suit you? I could pick you up at your room if that's okay."  
"8pm would be perfect. And I'm staying in Room No.457." with that she smiled, took a seat in the wheelchair her nurse brought with him and left the Pool area.


	2. Finger food and freezing feet

**So here it is... Chapter 2.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

Oliver paced around his hotel room, constantly checking his watch. It was 7.30pm and there was still plenty of time until he was about to head downstairs to pick up Felicity at her room.

As soon as Felicity left the Pool area, Oliver gathered his stuff and went to his Hotel room as well, quickly stripping out the bathing shorts to have a cold shower. It was still more than 3 hours until their dinner date was about to start, but he had plans. He needed to be prepared. This shouldn't be an ordinary dinner date, he wanted it to be perfect. So he showered as quick as he could, dressed in a set of Cargo shorts and a grey T-Shirt, paired it with his LA Kings cap and went downstairs to the Lobby.

The receptionist was very helpful and wrote down everything Oliver told her.  
Oliver made sure to have a wheelchair available for the evening and picked out a very romantic spot in their Beach Restaurant for their dinner. When everything for the evening had been settled, Oliver made his way back to his room, only to be stopped by Tommy and Laurel.  
Tommy seemed stressed out, loaded with countless shopping bags while Laurel grinned brightly at Oliver.

"So… I guess shopping was a success?" Oliver grinned at his best friend and Tommy gave him a look.

Before Tommy had a chance to say something, Laurel spoke up.  
"Ollie, this city is magnificent! So many nice Stores and have you seen all these people walking around here? It's like a big Fashion Show going on in the streets near the marina. It's so exciting, right, Tommy?" Laurel looked at Tommy with bright eyes, hands gesturing around. Tommy just rolled his eyes at his fiancée and started turned to Oliver.

"Ollie, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. No drinking-date tonight? What's up? Got yourself some hot date or something?"  
Oliver just grinned brightly at Tommy but didn't say anything.

"Spill it out, buddy! Who is it? Where did you meet her?"

"I met her at the Pool today and she's amazing. And that's all I'm telling you, my friend. No more details."  
Tommy and Oliver grinned at each other when Laurel spoke again and turned her attention to her fiancée.

"If you guys aren't going out tonight it means we can go out instead and have dinner at that nice Restaurant we walked past today, Tommy! Or don't you want to go out with your lovely fiancée in this lovely" - gesturing down herself "new dress that I got myself today?"

"Of course honey, but I would have loved to spend the evening out with my best friend as well. With all the wedding preparations and my work you know it's been a while since we have done that." Tommy told her.

"And I promise we'll catch up on that very soon, buddy!" Oliver said and patted Tommy's shoulder "but I gotta go now. We'll talk tomorrow and you guys have a nice evening out!"  
Oliver gave Laurel a quick peck on the cheek and winked at Tommy and left the Lobby to head upstairs to his room again. He still needed to find the right outfit for tonight, no matter if Felicity could see him or not.

It was 6.30 when he arrived back at his Hotel room and he immediately started digging through his case. He wasn't sure what to wear today. A tux would be way too formal, and too warm, with the temperatures out there. Cargo shorts and a simple Shirt would be too casual, so he settled for black slacks and a navy blue Henley.  
After pacing through his Hotel room for another 15 minutes, Oliver decided to head out early and pick up Felicity earlier than planned. Not only was he eager to see her again, but he couldn't stand the wait any more either.

While walking down the stairs to her floor he hoped that Felicity wouldn't mind him being a bit early. Normally he was the one being when it came to dates or appointments, but with Felicity he felt a nervousness and excitement he never felt before. When he arrived at Room No.457 and gently knocked on the door, he didn't hear any sound coming out of the room. He waited a few seconds and knocked again – still no response.  
He knocked a third time, "Felicity? It's me, Oliver. You in there?"

"Yeah, hold on – I'll be right there!" Oliver heard a voice coming out of the room.

He heard a soft hopping sound before the door opened and Oliver got to see her.  
Felicity stood in the doorway, donning her ever present sunglasses, dressed in a knee-long, navy blue sundress, barefoot, her hair straightened and falling over her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, am I too late? I had my nurse set me a timer on my phone to make sure I won't be late but I have no idea if he actually did that - or if I just didn't hear it while I was in the bathroom. I just need to get my hair finished and promise I'll hurry up – please don't think I'm one of these always-super-late-to-dates girls, because I'm absolutely not! It's just that all these casts are giving me a really hard time –"

At her rambling Oliver had to giggle.  
"Felicity, breathe. You're not too late. I'm early, actually. I just didn't want to sit around in my room for another 15 minutes and wait until I could walk down to pick you up, I hope that's okay? I can do another round on your Floor if you still need a bit more time to get ready."

"Oh don't be silly, come in! I just need 5 more minutes and we can head out."

Felicity ushered him into the room, turned around and hopped back into the bathroom to finish doing her hair. Oliver slowly entered her Hotel room and took in the sight in front of him. There were clothes sprawled all over her bed and floor, the black Bikini and white sundress that she wore earlier at the Pool were thrown into the corner of her bed. From her bathroom Oliver heard a rumbling sound when Felicity spoke again.

"I am sure my room must look super messy, please don't look around. I guess that's one of the perks of being blind – I actually don't have to take care of my room for once in my life" Felicity joked.

"Oh it's okay, really. It doesn't look much worse than mine right now." Oliver replied and Felicity couldn't stop laughing at that.

"Normally I would do something nice with my hair and apply a bit of MakeUp but I don't want to look like a clown and I can't put anything onto the bruise yet so this will have to do." Felicity said and emerged from the bathroom. She had her sunglasses in hand and smiled into his direction.

"They're blue!" Oliver said, surprise clearly visible in his voice.

"Uhm sorry, what?"

"Your eyes, they are blue!"

"Oh, uh…. Yeah. Sorry if they look a bit swollen and red." She blushed and quickly put her sunglasses back on.

"I think they are beautiful."

Felicity leaned in the bathroom door while they talked.  
"Well I would love to say the same about yours, but you know… "gesturing around her face "being visually impaired and all…"

She started fidgeting with the hemline of her dress. "So, uhm… I had no idea what to wear as I don't know what you've planned for the evening, so I opted for this dress. I hope that's okay? You have to decide if you'd want to be seen with me like this because you're the one that's going to spend the night with me. And by spending the night I didn't mean _spending the night with you_ , I meant spending the night like spending the evening and see where it goes – not that I want to imply you're not worth spending the night with you – because obviously I don't know. Not that I don't want to know – I can't know that either because we have only had one conversation and oh my god, why can't I stop talking?"

Oliver couldn't hide a wholehearted laugh while he listened to her rambling.  
"Everything's fine, Felicity. You look absolutely stunning and I'm looking forward to spending the evening with you."

"Normally I would put on a set of High Heels to match with the dress, but... "she gestured down her left leg "I can't fit this damn thing into any of the High Heels that I packed. Well, truth is, I didn't pack any High Heels at all, would Flip Flops do as well? I mean, one Flip Flop? I know it's not the most accurate clothing for a restaurant, but honestly I have no idea what else to wear and going barefoot isn't really an option…" Felicity frowned.

"Hey, please don't stress yourself. A Flip Flop will do. Actually, you won't have to be walking at all, there's a wheelchair waiting for you outside your room – well at least I hope so. Give me a second, I'll have a look if the really sent one up."

Oliver moved up from her bed and went to check on the wheelchair while Felicity digged through her case for the right Flip Flop to wear. When she put the correct one on and stood up, she heard Oliver enter her Room again.  
"Well, there's no wheelchair waiting for us out there, I'll quickly call the Reception to have them send one up. Maybe they forgot. Just give me 2 minutes."  
Felicity sat down on her bed and waited for Oliver to finish the call.

"Oh that's unfortunate. Apparently they don't have a wheelchair available right now even though I asked them to send one up. It's almost 8pm and we really need to head downstairs to the Restaurant so we'll have to find another way to get you down there. I hope you don't mind?" Oliver said, walked over to her and lifted her off the bed into his arms. Felicity let out a surprised 'eeep' and slung her left arm around Olivers neck and tried to relax into his hold.

"Wow, you're really strong. And you smell surprisingly good, too." She said, leaning her head onto Olivers shoulder.

"Why thank you Madame. Will you need anything else or can we start to head downstairs?"

"I'm ready whenever you're ready. Oh wait! My purse! It should be somewhere on the TV table, could you just check if it has my phone and room key in it?"

"Got it. Now let's get out of here." Oliver smiled and started to make his way to the Hotel Restaurant.

The spot that the Hotel staff prepared for them was absolutely stunning. It was a warm Friday evening and they were seated in a secluded area, separated from other guests with an amazing view of the ocean. Oliver sat Felicity down and took the seat opposite of her. The waiter arrived and handed Oliver the wine menu before lighting the candle on their table.

Oliver looked up from the wine menu. "I hope you like Wine?"

"Oh I LOVE Wine! There are just a few things more satisfying than a glass of Red after a long day of work!"  
Oliver grinned at her and showed the waiter which Wine he chose for the evening. The waiter took the WIne mnu from Oliver and left to retrieve the ordered bottle.

"Oliver…" Felicity looked up. "uhm, Oliver?"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"As much as I would love to order something to eat right now… I can't read the menu." Felicity blushed and mumbled into her napkin.

Oliver tried to hide a small smile. "I know, that's why I already ordered something before we arrived here. I didn't know if there's anything that you particularly like or dislike, so I ordered a little bit of everything they have, just to be sure."

Felicity made a surprised face and Oliver took the crumpled napkin out of her hands. "Oh and we won't even have to bother using a fork or knife, everything will be Finger Food tonight."

"But isn't that a bit _too_ casual for this Restaurant?"

"I just want to make sure that you're as comfortable as possible with these casts on your hand and leg. I'm sure they're causing you enough pain already, so we don't need to have any awkward situations involving forks or knifes tonight." He joked.

"Thank you. But it's okay really. They don't even hurt any more, they're just super uncomfortable."

"I know I asked you before already and you weren't really comfortable answering, but I really need to know… what happened?"  
Felicity put her hands in her lap and lowered her head. It took her a few moments to gather the right words before she started to speak silently.

"Cooper… he is my Ex-boyfriend. Well, ex-fiancée, actually. We broke up a few weeks ago after I walked in on him, banging his secretary."

"Felicity I'm sorry, you really don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable"

"No it's okay, it's just that I don't talk about it that often. I guess I'm just not used to it." she said and tried to find the right words to go on with her story when the waiter arrived with the Wine.  
Oliver poured them both a glass and put the bottle aside when Felicity spoke again.

"I'll spare you the details but I quit my job at his father's company, moved out of our Apartment and started all over. But not before doing a 'Cheating sale' where I sold off all his stuff for 1$ each and donated the money to Charity. Then I called Cooper's father, telling him his son screwed his secretary on his father's desk. Apparently that made his father kick him out of the position as the Company's CEO."

Oliver's eyes widened with every more detail that Felicity revealed. Before he could tell her some assuring words, Felicity started to speak again.

"I didn't see or hear from him in more than 3 weeks and it really helped me cope with everything. My best friend Caitlin let me crash on her couch during that time and one evening when I left her apartment to walk over to the gym, I noticed a car following me. Before I could cross the street, the car sped up, hit me and suddenly everything went black." Felicity started fumbling with the napkin in her lap while she spoke and Oliver could see her trembling to find the right words. She took a large gulp of wine and exhaled loudly. "Wow, I didn't imagine it to being so hard."

Oliver took her hand in his and slightly stroked her with his thumb.  
"It's okay, only tell what you're comfortable with."

"See, that's the thing. I can't remember much more. Next thing I remember is waking up in hospital with my Mom by my side holding my hand, everything still black around me, my left leg and arm in a cast. My head was spinning like crazy and I heard so many unfamiliar voices that I got a decent panic attack right after I woke up."

Oliver kept stroking Felicity's hand, squeezing it reassuringly from time to time, when another waiter arrived with two plates that contained several variations of fruits, vegetables and seafood. Felicity's stomach grumbled loudly at the delicious smell of the food and Oliver couldn't contain a laugh when Felicity started blushing. "I'm so sorry. I haven't eaten anything today besides breakfast and it smells just _SO_ good."

"Don't worry, I'm super hungry, too, Felicity. Why don't we just dive in? You look like you could use a break from talking anyway." Oliver squeezed her hand gently. "So, what do you want to try out first?"

Together they tasted through all the variations of food that were presented on the plates. Oliver helped Felicity with a delicious piece of spanish Hornazo ("Oliver… are you feeding me right now?"), Felicity returned the favor and forced Oliver to taste everything she could get ahold of on the plate before throwing her hand into his direction, waving delicious fruits or Gambas in his face.

They had an amazing time once they started to eat. The conversation shifted to much lighter topics, both laughing at the other and Oliver clearly enjoyed Felicity's company. They talked about her time growing up in Vegas and Felicity learned a bit about Oliver's friends Tommy and Laurel. Once they downed the 3rd bottle of Wine, Felicity started feeling a little tipsy.

"Guess I shouldn't have paired my pain meds with red wine." she grinned.

Oliver couldn't keep his eyes off her. Even though the gash covered a large part of her cheek and she still had her sunglasses on, Oliver was fascinated by her face and the way she gestured while talking.

When a comfortable silence fell over them, Felicity tilted her head to the side slightly and looked out to the beach. The waves were crashing from the ocean and Felicity sighed melancholy.

Oliver grabs her hand "Hey, is everything okay? You're so quiet suddenly."

"Yeah... I was just thinking."

"What about?"

She turned his attention to Oliver again. "You know, it's the first time I'm traveling out of North America, the first time traveling in more than 10 years at all, actually... And yet I don't even have the chance to stick my toe into the ocean because of... yeah, you know, this huge thing on my foot. I mean it would be funny if it wouldn't be so ridiculous..."

she half sighed, half laughed ironically. Before Oliver could think any further, he put his napkin down, got up and around the table to where Felicity sat, tapped her on the arm. asked her "May I?" and swiped her out of her seat and securely into his arms.

Felicity let out a gasp before she grabbed his Henley to steady herself. "Oliver, what are you doing? We haven't even finished eating - or won't there be Dessert? That would be a shame, I love Dessert... And where are we going? Don't we at least have to wait for the bill or something?"

"Felicity, calm down. Wait a minute and you'll know where we're going."

Felicity relaxed into his shoulders but kept a very confused look on her face and Oliver started walking out of the Restaurant down a little path that led them right to the private Hotel beach. When she heard the sound of the waves become louder and the noise of the Restaurant become much quieter, Felicity got suspicious.  
"Wait, are we going to the beach? Oliver, I'm not allowed to go into the water, my casts!"

Oliver slipped out of his shoes and took off her Flip Flop, lowered her onto a sun bed and sat next to her. Felicity just stared out to the ocean where the sound of waves crashing came from. Oliver never took his eyes off her, watched her taking deep breaths and inhale the smell of sand and saltwater, her chest rising and falling under the navy blue dress. After a few minutes of silence between them, Felicity could feel the sun bed shift and Oliver move up beside her.

"Where are you going? Please don't leave me here, I have no idea how to get back to the – eeep"  
suddenly Oliver lifter her off the bed and into his arms once again and Felicity couldn't contain a small laugh. "You're really liking that, don't you? Where are we going now?"

When Oliver silently walked them through the sand but didn't answer her question.  
"Hey Mister, I can't see where you're taking me, so you could at least talk to me." Felicity protested, when she smacked his chest with her right hand. "Ow! God, you're so hard…"

Oliver couldn't contain a giggle at her innuendo and before she could start one of her ramblings again, he cut her off and stopped walking. "Felicity, I want you to put your left arm securely around my neck and then put your right foot down. Trust me, I won't let you fall."

Felicity thought about his words for a few seconds before she strengthened her grip on his neck and slowly started lowering her right foot down. When her toes touched the water she jerked back in surprise before lowering them again.  
"Oliver, are we standing in the ocean right now?" she asked, slowly turning her face towards him. She could feel Olivers breath on her face and knew he was staring at her before she quickly looked back to the ocean, blushing slightly.

"Yes we are and I would like you to put your toes down into the ocean please. What would a vacation to Marbella be if you haven't been in the ocean at least once?" he said and Felicity slowly lowered her foot into the water until she felt the sandy ground under her toes.

"Frack, that's cold," she yelped and jerked her foot back up. "I take it back, I don't want to stick my foot into the ocean any more. Who would have guessed that it's _this_ freezing cold? Can we get out again please?" she practically whined and Oliver was amazed what cute faces Felicity could make.

When he set them both back on the sun bed, Oliver took Felicity's legs and swung them both over his bent knees. "I don't want any sand get caught in the cast" he said, when Felicity gave him a confused look. They both listened to the waves in silence. It was Felicity who spoke up first after a while.

"I really need to thank you for today, Oliver. Even with being so hesitant at first. I'm still having a very hard time figuring out how to deal with this blindness and these casts aren't really helpful either. This has been an amazing day so far, the best one of this entire vacation. Actually it has been the best day for me since a long time ago, after everything happened with Cooper. I haven't laughed that much in a long while, so thank you for that."

Felicity slightly leaned into Oliver's shoulder and relaxed her head onto it when the frame of her glasses got pulled up slipped down her nose. The glasses ended up falling into Olivers lap and Felicity immediately tried to grab them and put them back on when Oliver got ahold of them.

"You really don't need these right now. The sun is down and I think your eyes are beautiful, there's no reason to hide them." he said when he tipped her chin up so she had to face him. Their noses were just inches apart and Felicity had to take a deep breath and focus her thoughts to not pass out at that moment.

"Did the doctors ever tell you how it happened? I mean, why you lost your eyesight? When they say it's just temporary I'm sure they must know what caused it."  
"From what I've been told the car that cut me off and ran me over hit me fully on my left side, hence the broken bones on that side mostly. When I hit the ground I apparently landed face first, with full force on my cheekbone. The doctors were surprised it wasn't broken, just severely cut and bruised, but apparently I hit the pavement with enough force that my optic nerve got partially crushed. They told me it could be anything between 6 days and 6 months until I'll be able to fully see again but they were very optimistic, so that's what I am, too. Then someone told me about this Doctor here in Marbella, renown for fixing eye-problems like mine. So that's how I ended up here." Felicity shrugged.

Oliver gently stroked her cheek with his thumb with his right hand and rested his left hand in her lap, just above her knees.  
"And I'm very glad you ended up here and I got the chance to meet you, Felicity." he said and slowly lowered his lips over hers. It was a chaste kiss, tentative, hesitant at first. Oliver didn't want to overwhelm her and waited for Felicity to return it. She seemed surprised, but not averse. Felicity slowly returned the kiss and started nibbling at his lower lip while stroking through the hair at his neck. Oliver groaned and deepened the kiss, his tongue slowly drawing circles over her upper lip, gently sucking on it, when Felicity suddenly pulled back and Oliver looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry, it's just… it's all a little too overwhelming for me right now. I mean, I don't even know you for a day and yet I'm sitting at the beach with you, in your lap, while doing this tongue-thing … and damn, you're really good at that! – but… I think I should take it slow, after everything that happened in the last few weeks. And please don't get me wrong, I would love to keep on doing this amazing tongue-thing with you - " Oliver let out a chuckle at that and Felicity couldn't contain the blush that covered nearly her entire face now "but could we just spend another day or two together? Just to get to know each other a bit better? I mean… if you still want to see me again."

Oliver pulled her in a tight hug and gently kissed her cheek. "I would love to spend another day with you! I wanted to ask you for over an hour now, but wasn't sure if you would say yes, actually…"  
Felicity smiled, looking down into her lap shyly.

"Felicity, would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow?"

"Very much!"


	3. Family ties

It had been a short night for Felicity. When Oliver dropped her off at her room at 2am after their Dinner Date and gave her a good night kiss that got her weak in the knees, she struggled to calm down her racing mind and get her brain to shut up. So many things went through her head.

'He's still a complete stranger to me. I've barely known him 24 hours, it's so unlike me… but then again why does it feel so good?"

The day with Oliver had been amazing, but tiring as well. Being carried around all the time, even if by strong arms and very broad shoulders can be surprisingly exhausting. With thoughts of Olivers strong arms holding her up and carrying her down to the beach she drifted off to sleep.

Oliver was struggling to fall asleep no less. After he set her down at her room he didn't know what to do. If he was being honest to himself he would have loved to stay in Felicity's Hotel room with her that night, but his Playboy persona wouldn't do with Felicity, he already realized that down at the Beach earlier. And he didn't even want to be like this with her. Maybe it was finally time to let 'Playboy Ollie' be a person of the past…

At 8.30am Oliver awoke with a start. Thea had been wildly knocking at his door, forcing him to get up.  
"Ollie, get up and move your lazy ass out of bed! Mom and I are heading downstairs for breakfast and you will join us on our last day here! And don't you dare to stay in bed, you don't want me to come up here a second time, big brother. We'll see you downstairs in 30 minutes, sharp!"

With that Thea left and Oliver let is head fall back into the pillow with a groan. He wasn't really in the mood for breakfast nor did he want to get up that early, but the threats of his sister are none to be taken lightly, he knew that all too well.

"I'll just take a nap at the Hotel pool later" he thought to himself and got out of bed.  
A quick shower and some Cargo shorts and a dark grey T-Shirt later and Oliver was heading downstairs to the Hotel Restaurant. Moira and Thea were already seated and waiting for him to arrive.

"Oliver, dear. Nice to see you up so soon, I didn't expect you would join us for breakfast" Moira said with a smile.  
"I missed you last night at the Restaurant. It would have been nice to spend the last evening with both my children before we go back to Starling, but I heard you had company last night?"

Olivers eyebrows shot up and he shot Moira and his sister a look.

"I've seen you when we got back from the Restaurant, Ollie. Who's that girl you've been with last night?" Thea bluntly asked him.

"What?" Oliver was still too stunned to form a complete sentence.

"Don't pretend, big brother. I've seen you carry that blonde girl when we came back to the Hotel. She's the girl from the Pool, right?"

„Could you enlighten me, please, Oliver? Who is this girl Thea is talking about?" Moira asked.

Oliver let out a loud sigh and rubbed his forehead with his palm. This wasn't really the type of conversation he planned on having over breakfast at 8am in a Hotel Restaurant.  
"There's not much to tell about. I met a girl at the Pool yesterday when you and Thea left. We talked for a while and I asked her out for the evening. That's all."

Thea let out a huff and rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure that's why you have been carrying her around all the time, right?"

"With all your spying on me I'm surprised you haven't seen for yourself that she has a broken wrist and foot, so yeah, I carried her around because she can hardly walk herself, Thea!" Oliver spit out. This was getting ridiculous. Since when did his family watch his every move?

"Does she know about you?"

"What are you talking about, Thea?" Oliver gritted his teeth.

"Oh, you know… your reputation with women in Starling City? Or maybe the fact that you still have a girlfriend over there?" she spat out with an evil glare, stuffing a piece of Croissant into her mouth.

"Enough, children! There is no need to make a scene this early in the morning. Well Oliver, I would like you to join us for lunch before we leave. I am sure this 'vacation hookup' isn't as important as spending time with your family." Moira said calmly while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Wordlessly Oliver got up from the table and headed for the Restaurant Exit.

"Where are you going?" Thea called after him.

"I'm not hungry any more, please enjoy your breakfast alone. I'll meet you at the Pool." He called out before leaving to his Hotel room again. Thea shot him a glaring look but Oliver didn't look back. This was getting ridiculous and he really needed to get out of there.

On his way upstairs to his Hotel Room, he thought about the last night and the fact that Felicity agreed to meet him again and spend another day with him despite the fact that she backed away from the kiss on the beach. And now his family forces him to have dinner with them. That jeopardizes his entire plan for today. He didn't want to have lunch with his mother and sister today. He wasn't really interested in having lunch with them at all. He could do that any time in Starling City, but time with Felicity was limited and he really wanted to spend it with her instead. He already had the entire day planned out for him and Felicity and now had to cut time with her – and he hated it.

Oliver didn't see Felicity the entire morning and wondered how she might be doing. More than once he thought about going downstairs to her room and just knock at her door, but he wasn't sure if that would be too hurried. He headed downstairs to the Pool instead and decided to just kill time until she might show up. When the nurse brought Felicity down in the wheelchair after breakfast, his face lightened up. He called out her name and Felicity motioned for her nurse to bring her over to him. Oliver got up and hugged her while she got up from her wheelchair. He already prepared the lounge bed next to him and sat her down on it.

"So how did you sleep?" she asked him while getting rid of her skirt and top and relaxing into her lounge bed.

"It took me a while to gather my thoughts and fall asleep, but I slept really really well."

"What did you think about?"

Oliver hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should tell her about his thoughts or just put up some lame excuses. "About our date last night. And the fact that I really enjoyed spending time with you"

Felicity blushes. "I enjoyed it as well. Speaking of… I'm really looking forward to spending another day with you today." she smiled.

"Oh yeah, about that… my Mom insisted on me joining her for Lunch today because they'll be heading back home later. So we need to re-schedule a bit, I hope that's okay? I could pick you up after lunch and we can spend the rest of the day together."

"Sure, it's not that I have somewhere else to be, so…" Felicity shrugged and sent him a genuine smile.

Together they spent the morning at the Pool, talked about Felicity's family and made fun of her nurse until Oliver's phone rang. When he picked it up, Thea's face appeared on the screen.

"Yeah?" he answered shortly. "Fine, I'll meet you there."

"Who was it?"

"My sister, I need to leave for lunch and my family hates waiting, so I better hurry up. Where can I find you later? Will you stay here at the Pool all day?"

"I have no idea, honestly. My nurse isn't really talkative, but I heard him say something about going down to the Esplanade and the Marina as soon as he's coming back, so maybe I don't need to kill time all day down here, even though the weather is amazing. But I have an idea." She fumbled her mobile phone out of her bag, unlocked the screen and handed it to him.

"Put your number into my contacts, I'll ring you then as soon as I'm back at the Hotel."  
For a few seconds Oliver just stared at the phone in her hand, but he quickly grabbed it, added his number and name into her contacts and handed the phone back to her.

"I really need to go now" he said, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "See you later! I have something very nice planned for today!" Oliver teased before grabbing his towel and T-Shirt and headed back into the Hotel area.

Lunch with his family wasn't really one of his favorite activities at all. But lunch with his mother and sister, especially after the heated discussion during breakfast was something he really dreaded today. He knew Thea would be pressing the topic some more just to annoy him and Moira never approved of his lifestyle or the women he chose to surround himself with at all.  
When they arrived at the Restaurant and took a seat, Moira luckily started the conversation with a lighter topic.  
"So… I heard Laurel and Tommy already found their wedding venue and even picked a boat for their honeymoon?"

"Yeah, I still can't imagine they will be spending 2 whole weeks on a boat, even though it's a really nice one. I guess it's just not my way of spending a honeymoon, but I'm glad they found something they both are happy with. I know Laurel can be… picky."

"Unlike you when it comes to women, you mean?" Thea snapped from the side, not even looking up from her menu.

"Seriously Thea, what's wrong with you? Is there anything you'd like to tell me or do I have to listen to you bitching at me during the entire lunch?" Oliver shot back at her.

"We came here to spent time as a family, Ollie! Yet you have nothing better to do than hooking up some random girl and spend time with her instead. And it's not that you still have a girlfriend at home either!" she practically yelled at him.

"This is ridiculous, Thea! Isabel and I aren't even a couple anymore! We broke up weeks ago, not that it's any of your business."

"Could we please drop the subject now, children? It's our last day here and I'd like to enjoy lunch with both of you instead of putting up yet another fight in public." Moira interrupted before Thea had the chance to say something.

"Oliver, are there any news from your Football Sponsors? I assume they finally found someone willing to take over the Sponsorship of your Team to get them out in the field again?"

"Not yet, but I'll get in touch with them again as soon as I'm back in Starling to see if there's any news."

"You should really consider changing to a different team if you want to keep doing this professionally. It's not good for your reputation if they keep you in the loop and don't let you go out there and play."

"Mom, like I said before, I'm not going to leave the Archers. Joining the team in Coast City is not even an option, I'm not going to waste my season sitting on the substitutes bench, waiting for their main Quarterback to get injured or give me his spot freely. Not going to happen."  
Moira frowned, but knew better to drop the topic than risk Oliver leaving the Restaurant.

They ate in silence mostly, and Oliver was grateful for that. During almost the entire vacation his mother and sister had been bugging him about his job, his private life, pretty much everything. If it weren't for Tommy and Laurel, he would have never agreed to join them on their vacation. Now that he met Felicity, he was really happy he agreed to come with them.

They were on the way back to their Hotel when Olivers phone rang. 'Unknown caller', that could only mean Felicity would be calling him. With a smile on his face he took the call.  
"Hello?"

"Oliver, what a pleasant surprise you finally picked up. I was beginning to think you are ignoring my calls."

"Isabel." he gritted his teeth, the smile fading from his face as fast as it appeared. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to ask when you will be returning from your vacation. I'd like to have dinner with you in the near future and talk about everything."

"I already told you there's nothing to talk about any more. You made a decision and so did I."  
There was a silence before Isabel spoke again and for a second Oliver wondered if she was still on the phone.

"Well there's a matter I would like to discuss with you anyways. Please give me a call as soon as you are back in Starling City." With that she hung up. Oliver shoved his phone back into his pants and let out a loud sigh. Thea just grinned at him and shook her head in disbelief, but remained silent.

Just before they got back into the Hotel Lobby, Oliver's phone rang again.

"Your women are keeping you quite busy, aren't they?" Thea just shot his direction before giving Moira a peck on the cheek. "I'll be going down to the beach for another hour."

"Fine, dear. Just make sure you're on time when the driver will pick us up." Moira smiled and patted her daughters shoulder.

"I need to leave as well, mom." Oliver said and hugged his mother. "I'll see you in Starling!" Moira gave him a small smile and watched him head upstairs to his Hotel room.

Oliver looked down at his still ringing phone. Unknown caller again.  
"Isabel, if this is your way of trying to change my desci – "

"Who's Isabel?" Felicity interrupted him.

"Felicity, hi! I'm sorry, I didn't have your number yet and expected someone else. Where are you? Ready for our Date?" Oliver asked, his mood changing considerably after hearing Felicity's voice.

"Absolutely. Will you pick me up at my room? I have no idea where my nurse is right now, he won't even answer his damn phone."

"We really need to do something about this nurse, Felicity. He can't just drop you off at the Pool and leave you there all day."

"I'd rather not talk about my nurse right now, Oliver. Pick me up, I'm bored!" she joked and Oliver had to grin.

"Already on my way." he said when Felicity heard someone knock on her door.

"Oh hold on Oliver, someone just knocked on my door."  
When Felicity hopped through her room and opened the door, Oliver stood in front of her, phone still at his ear.

"Hi." He grinned at the sight of Felicity in front of him in her familiar black sunglasses. She immediately ended the call and smiled at him.  
"You're fast." She said and motioned for him to come inside.  
"I have no idea what you have planned for today, so you need to help me picking the right outfit." Felicity said, gesturing to the pile of clothes on her bed. She was still wearing her outfit from the Pool, a bright pink skirt and a black tank top over her black bikini.

"Black might be a bit warm as we will be out in the sun, mostly." he said and looked onto her bed to find a nice alternative.

"Oh, okay... well, then..." Felicity just said and quickly took off the tank top.  
Olivers breath caught once again when he took in the sight in front of him. The bright pink skirt hugged her curves perfectly and matched her sun-kissed skin very well. When she turned around and tossed the black top aside, Oliver saw the tattooed wings covering her back again.

"I really like your Tattoo. Even though I didn't expect you to be a person that's into Tattoos at all, to be honest."

"Are you checking me out while I'm turning my back on you, Oliver?" Felicity teased, grinning at him over her shoulder.

"Absolutely." He bluntly replied which made Felicity blush and giggle.

"Now will you pick me a shirt or do I have to do it myself? I'm not sure if you want to be seen with me if I pick one, there's not much that matches the bright pink color of my skirt, so there's a decent chance I might pick a terrible top to match…" she teased him.

"How do you even know what color the clothes have that you wear?" he asked surprised while shuffling though the pile of tops, skirts and dresses.

"I only packed clothes that I can distinguish. That's why I only brought two bikinis, for example. The grey one doesn't have any metal studs on the braids, so I don't have to worry I might mis-match anything with the black one. Caitlin helped me pack the skirts and dresses, otherwise I would have gone insane. It just gets a little complicated when it comes to the tops, so let's see… you say black will be too dark… I'm sure Caitlin packed me a dark grey bandeau top, too. Could you try and find it for me, please?" she said nervously, while fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Sure, but what exactly is a bandeau top?" Oliver gave her a confused look and stared at the pile of clothes again.

Felicity couldn't hide the laugh at his confused tone. "It's a top, tight fitted, without any straps and sleeves."

"Ahh, got it!" Oliver called out, pulling the grey top out of the mess of clothes and brushing her hands with it. Felicity grabbed it, made sure it was right side up and put it over her head. After adjusting it, she turned to face Oliver again.  
"How do I look?" she asked, gesturing with her hands down herself.

"You look perfect, Felicity. Now let's head out, I have a lot planned for today and we don't want to run late."

Felicity grabbed her handbag and followed Oliver out of her room. When Oliver swiped her off her feet and placed her in a wheelchair waiting outside of her room, Felicity let out a surprised 'eeep'.  
"Wait, you won't be carrying me around all day, Oliver? I must say I'm disappointed. Am I too heavy?" she teased and grinned at him.

"I would love to carry you around all day, but the wheelchair will have to do for now."

When they arrived at the Lobby, Oliver went straight to the Receptionist.  
"Hello Mr. Queen, how can I help you?"

"I need a car for the day. Could you arrange something, please?"

"Of course, Mr. Queen. Anything preferences?"

"No, not at all, just please make sure I can fit a wheelchair in it."

"So… Mister Queen, huh?" Felicity teased while Oliver walked her back to the Lounge area of the Lobby.  
Oliver nervously rubbed his neck. "Uhm, yeah. I just didn't want you to get a wrong first impression of me, that's why I didn't tell you before."

"Tell me what?" Felicity looked up at him, clearly confused. Oliver rolled her to a Couch and took a seat beside her.  
"Uhm, my last name? There's so much gossip going around and I was afraid I might scare you off."

"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about, Oliver. I don't care for gossip. Never did, never will. I don't even read any of these gossip magazines."  
The look on Olivers face constantly changed between confused and relieved. Could she be telling the truth? Didn't she know anything that the media said about Oliver Queen, Quarterback of the Starling Archers and Playboy extraordinaire? Sure, she was from Los Angeles, but in the past Oliver more than often made sure he made it into the Newspapers of out-of-State Cities as well, so he was surprised Felicity didn't know him at all.

"I just have one question for you and please answer it honestly, Oliver." her serious tone and straight face made Oliver flinch.

"Is it true what these gossip papers and tabloids say?"

"Part of it. I'm not gonna lie Felicity, I have a wild past that I'm not proud of. I dated quite a lot of women, partied around with Tommy and even got arrested" he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently "but I'm not like that anymore, I promise."

"That's all I need to hear. And it's not like I could read any of these tabloids right now anyway, so…" Felicity smiled at him.

"Mr. Queen? Your car is waiting for you outside. Will you need any assistance getting the wheelchair into the trunk?"  
He took the keys off the desk and thanked the Receptionist. "We're fine, thank you."

Oliver rolled Felicity to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She quickly got seated, Oliver placed the wheelchair in the back of the car and took the seat next to Felicity.  
"Wow."  
"Hm?" Oliver looked over to her and watched Felicitys fingers glide over the smooth leather of the seat.  
"That's probably the most comfortable car seat I ever sat on. And this car smells SO good… like, Leather and –"  
"Air freshener?" Oliver joked.  
Felicity let out a laugh "No, more like leather and new car smell. What is it?"  
"It's a Porsche. Convertible, actually. What do you think… should we go topless today?" Oliver's smirking tone made Felicity laugh out loud.  
"I would love to go topless with you, Oliver!" she laughed and buckled her seatbelt.

Oliver opened the roof and started to pull out of the Hotel's driveway. The drive took a little longer than Felicity expected, but the warm sun and wind in her hair made her relax into the car seat. Occasionally, Olivers fingers grazed her left thigh while he shifted the gears and every time Felicitys skin tingled wildly in response.  
When Oliver slowed down and came to a halt, Felicity tried to sence any sounds to make out where they might be. She couldn't hear the sound of waves crashing, so they obviously weren't at the beach. Before she could get lost in her thoughts, the car door opened and Oliver lend her a hand and helped her into the wheelchair.  
"Will you tell me where we are now, Oliver? I hate mysteries!" Felicity pouted and Oliver had to fight back a grin at her behavior. She was too sweet when she was annoyed.

"We're at the Marbella Safari Park." he said and Felicitys eyes went wide.

"Are you serious? I haven't been to a Zoo since I was a kid!"

"Absolutely serious. I thought it was a better idea than just spending time at the beach. But we're not doing the standard Tour like all the other Tourists. I figured it would be too boring for you so I booked a special tour just for the two of us." Oliver rolled them to the main entrance where a Park Ranger was waiting for them already.

"Hola, I'm Maria! I will be your personal guide for today." the woman said and gestured them to enter the Park. "We will do a lot of different things today and if there are any animals you are afraid of, please let me know."

"Kangaroos!" Felicity blurted out. "And spiders. They climb up the walls and hang upside down. It freaks me out."

"Kangaroos?" Oliver grinned? "What's wrong with them? They're cute!"

"No, Oliver, they're not! I used to think like you as a kid, until an incident at the Zoo that I will never talk about when I was 9 years old, so no. Kangaroos are NOT cute!" Felicity gave him a stern look and Oliver was surprised how serious she was. It made him giggle anways.

"Okay, no Kangaroos then." Maria said. "Let's go, the first animals are already waiting for us!"

Oliver and Felicity followed Maria into a large building. It smelled a lot of animals and Felicity could hear birds chirping. When Oliver led her up a ramp and motioned for her to get up, Felicity hooked her arm into Olivers.

Maria handed them both a bushel of hay and made a whistling sound that echoed through the entire building. When Felicity heard footsteps becoming louder, Maria spoke again.

"So this is our Giraffe House and this big buddy here" she spoke while a large head made his way to the hay bushels Oliver and Felicity held "this is Kimary, one of our Masai Giraffes."  
Kimary slid his tongue around the bushel of hay that Felicity held and gently tugged at it. Felicity jerked back at the sudden movement in front of her and grabbed Olivers arm in a death grip.

"It's okay, he's very friendly. Kimary has been raised by humans after his mother passed away. He's one of the friendliest animals we have at the Park. You can touch him if you'd like, he loves a good face scratch" Maria said.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked her and gently squeezed her arm.

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed, that's all." She smiled at him and loosened her grip from his arm. When she gently moved her hand forward, Kimary immediately snapped his head back to her and started rubbing his forehead on her palm. "Wow, his fur is surprisingly soft. I always thought Giraffes were kind of scratchy."

While Kimary scratched himself on Felicity's hand and Maria told her more about the Giraffes they have at the Park, Oliver fumbled through Felicity's handbag and quickly grabbed out her phone. He unlocked the screen and took a picture of Felicity and the Giraffe and stashed the phone back in her bag.

Through the afternoon Maria showed them many more amazing animals. Felicity got a kiss from two dolphins, sang with a Cockatoo that sat on her shoulder and even scratched the back of a friendly hippo. Every time Felicity got distracted, Oliver snatched her phone and took a quick picture of it.

When the sun started to set, they arrived back at the main gates of the Park.

"Thank you SO much, Maria. This has been an amazing day. I really enjoyed it here!" Felicity said. Maria gave her a hug and shook hands with Oliver.  
"If you're ever coming back to Marbella, please pay us a visit." She said and waved them goodbye.

Before Oliver could lift her into the passenger seat again, Felicity tightly hugged him. "Thank you. For everything. These two days have been the most awesome since everything that happened. I always struggle with that blindness thing going on in my life right now, but you make it so much easier for me. I wasn't able to enjoy any of this vacation until I met you. You have no idea how much all this means to me, Oliver."

Oliver gently tipped her chin upward and placed a kiss on her lips. Felicity responded quickly and he was glad she didn't back away. When she started nibbling at his lower lip he gently outlined her lips with his tongue. Felicity parted her lips slightly and Oliver took the cue. He deepened the kiss and started exploring every corner of her mouth. Felicity swung her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Her mind started spinning like crazy but she dared to stop him.  
They parted their lips and both gasped for air. Felicity's sunglasses were foggy and askew, her lips were kiss swollen and a slight beard burn started to form around her mouth.

"Wow, you're really good at that. And I love that beard" she said while gently rubbing her thumb over his cheek "even though I'm sure my face must look horrible right now."

Oliver grinned at her and Felicity put her head on his chest. His heartbeat was strong and fast, and she loved the sound of it. "God, I still have so many questions." She said while listening to his heartbeat slowing down.

"Then ask them." Oliver mumbled into her hair while stroking her lower back in slow circles.

"Where do you come from? What do you do for a living? Are you single? I mean – I hope you are, otherwise we'd be in huge trouble. Well, more you than me, but you get what I mean…"

Oliver laughed into her hair and gently kissed the top of her haid.  
"Of course I'm single. I'm living in Starling City, and I'm the Quarterback of the Starling Archers" Oliver slowly replied.

"Oh… that explains the broad chest." Felicity slightly poked it with her finger.

"Now I got a question as well" Oliver said, never ending the hug they were still in.

"Only fair."

"Why do you have such a huge tattoo on your back? Does it have a meaning?"

"Technically that were two questions, Oliver" Felicity teased.

"Oh really? Well then I have a third one for you. Can I see you again?"

"Oliver, you're leaving in two days."

"I mean after Marbella. I don't want this to be a bubble that will explode once I leave back home. I want to see you again, get to know you, REALLY know you, Felicity." Oliver gently stroked her hair and peppered her head with kisses.

"Let's get back to the Hotel first. And I'll answer all your questions while we're on the way"

Felicity gently loosened herself from Oliver and took the passenger seat.  
When Oliver started and led them out of the Park Area, a comfortable silence fell over them. Felicity stared straight ahead and Oliver took her hand in his and placed it on her left thigh.

"So, are you going to tell me the story about that Tattoo on your back?"

"There's not much to tell, actually. I got it when I was 18. Asked my Mom if I could get tongue piercing and she didn't allow, but joked 'you could get a tattoo instead.' I guess she didn't consider me taking her joke seriously. So that's what I did. I took my best friend and went straight to the Tattoo Shop. We looked through all the books and templates there and my eyes landed on a pair of angel wings. They reminded me of my grandma, so I asked the Tattoo artist to draw some wings onto my back. He made sure they matched my figure perfectly and started inking. It took me 5 damn hours to get them both done and I wouldn't walk straight for a week." She laughed. "Mom was furious when she found out, to say the least. She wanted to sue the Tattoo artist and threatened to ground me till the end of her life if I ever got any more tattoos. I think she didn't like it."

Oliver couldn't contain a laugh and Felicity had to giggle as well at the thought. "She still doesn't like them but I think they're beautiful. They still remind me of my Grams and the crazy times that I had at that age."

"I think they are beautiful, and they draw a lot of attention. Well, from me, at least." Oliver admitted and kissed the back of her hand.

They arrived at their Hotel around 9pm and when Oliver handed the car keys back to the Receptionist, Tommy walked down into the Lobby.  
"Ollie! Where have you been all day! I hoped to catch you when Moira and Thea left but you were nowhere to be found. Your mom said you had a date?"

Tommy looked down at Felicity sitting in the wheelchair with Oliver steadily gripping the handles.  
"And who is this lovely creature you are with?" Tommy said, offering a hand to Felicity.  
When Felicity didn't move a muscle but just smiled in Tommy's direction, Oliver took her hand and guided it into Tommy's outstretched palm. "This is Felicity. Felicity, this is Tommy." Oliver slowly replied while Felicity shook Tommy's hand and smiled at him.

"Tommy Merlyn, very nice to meet you."  
"Ollie, I was going to ask you to join us for Dinner. If you haven't eaten yet? It would be a pleasure if you'd join us, too, Felicity." Tommy offered.

At that, Felicity's stomach made a loud grumbling sound. "Oh god, this is so embarrassing. But as you might have heard, I haven't eaten anything yet, so I would like to join you for Dinner, if that's okay for you, Oliver? As long as you're not going into some fancy Restaurant because I'm not sure if I can eat oysters or lobster with this cast" Felicity waggled her left hand in front of her which made Tommy laugh.

"Felicity, would you excuse us for a second? I'll be right back." Oliver said while rubbing her arm.

"Oh of course! It seems Tommy was looking for you anyways so I'm sure you guys have to discuss some stuff. I'll just wait here and try to finally get ahold of my nurse."

Oliver walked into the Lounge area with Tommy, just far enough that Felicity would be out of hearing distance.  
"Tommy, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I just met her."

"Why not Ollie, because she's sitting in a wheelchair? Come on, she is lovely! And funny! And like she said, as long as we're not going anywhere too fancy, she'll be fine."

"She doesn't know about Isabel. And I don't want her to know. So if we're doing this, could you please tell Laurel to keep any past-relationships of mine off the table for tonight? I don't want to scare her off."

"I'm sure we can manage that. I'll tell Laurel and we'll meet at the Hotel Restaurant in 30 minutes. Will that work for you guys?"

"Thanks, Tommy. I really appreciate that. I had enough fights with Thea and Mom for a month, so I would at least like to enjoy a relaxed evening with Laurel and you." Oliver said and patted his shoulder. Tommy winked at him and headed upstairs to his fiancée.

When Oliver got back to Felicity, he gently kissed her head and rolled her to the elevators.  
"Well it seems my nurse is currently unavailable, according to his Mailbox. So, did you and Tommy catch up?"

"Yes we did. And we'll have dinner with him and Laurel in 30 minutes, so we better hurry up. I don't want to hear another of these spooky sound your stomach makes." Oliver laughed.

"Excuse me? Feeding giraffes and seals and Zebras is pretty awesome, but I didn't eat anything besides breakfast today, so … sorry, not sorry." Felicity pouted.

The elevator ride to Felicity's floor was quick and Oliver swept her out of the wheelchair and into her Hotel room before she could blink.

"Do I have to change for Dinner? I better change, I'm sure I smill like fish and giraffe fur." she said and stripped out of her top and skirt. She hopped into her bathroom to quickly wash her hands and face. Oliver couldn't stop staring at her, drinking her in. Even with the cast on her foot she was moving gracefully and he was tempted to just walk over to her, hug her from behind and pepper her back with kisses. But he just stayed there, listening to her rambling about the Dinner while she stood in her bathroom.  
"There should be a black dress somewhere in my travel case, with a silver metal belt, could you grab this for me, please?"

Oliver immediately started searching for the dress and handed it to her when he found it.

Felicity turned away from him, put on the dress and started removing her Bikini top before putting the straps over her shoulder and pulling the zipper up. Oliver caught himself staring at her back once again, forcing to take a step back. The dress looked beautiful. It ended just above her knees in a flowy skirt and her Tattoo was almost completely hidden. When she stepped out of the bathroom, her glasses were firmly back in place and she smelled of Vanilla and Roses. Her blonde locks were firmly put in place in a ponytail.

"Alright, let's do this." she said and grabbed her handbag.


	4. Food Fights and Stormy Nights

When the elevator arrived at the Lobby and Oliver rolled Felicity out in the wheelchair, Tommy and Laurel were already waiting for them.  
After Oliver greeted Tommy and gave Laurel a peck on the cheek, he turned his attention to Felicity again.  
"Felicity, I'd like you to meet Laurel, the fiancée and better half of my best friend."

Felicity couldn't contain a smile at that and outstretched her hand when she heard Laurel taking a step forward.  
"Very nice to meet you, Felicity. Though I must say I'm surprised Oliver brings a Plus 1 to this Dinner, I take it you just met?" Oliver gave her a stern look and Tommy nudged her with his shoulder, but Felicity was quick to speak up.  
"Yeah well, I met Oliver at the Pool yesterday morning. He saved me from dying of boredom by spending time with me and talking to me when no one else did. And apparently he talked me into agreeing to have Dinner with you guys, too." she tilted her head in Olivers direction but didn't say a word. She _knew_ he was watching her. "If you're not okay with it I would understand! I mean it's your Dinner Date and you don't even know me, I wouldn't want to have a stranger at my Dinner table either, so – "  
"Felicity, it's okay, really. We would love for you to join us, like I said earlier." Tommy interrupted her.

When an uncomfortable silence fell over the group, Oliver asked Tommy to start heading into the Restaurant. When Tommy took Laurel's hand and started walking out of the Hotel to the waiting Limo, Oliver quickly followed him with Felicity.

"Where are we going, Tommy? I thought we'd have Dinner at the Hotel Restaurant?"

"After you and Felicity agreed to join us tonight I had an idea. We're not going to a normal Restaurant this time. If Felicity can't see what she'll be eating I'd say it would only be fair if no one else can either." Tommy grinned at him, Laurel sharing an equal grin on her face.

Felicity gave Oliver a worried look. This was way out of her comfort zone. She wasn't particularly fond of going to a Restaurant at all in her current state, let alone with two complete strangers that happen to be Oliver's best friends.

"Tommy what are you talking about?"

"We'll be having a Dinner in the Dark tonight and it'll be a shitload of fun! Talking about equal rights and stuff." Tommy's grin was still plastered on his face and Oliver could visibly see Felicity relax in the wheelchair.

"That's sounds like a fun idea, but please don't put yourself on my account! I know I said I'm not the best company when it comes to a normal Restaurant but I'm sure I can manage."

"Too late, the table's already been booked. And we should really hurry up if we don't want to be late." Laurel shoved Tommy into the Limo and followed him inside.

Oliver just shook his head and leaned down to Felicity.  
"Are you really okay with that? We could cancel at any time if you don't feel comfortable – "  
"Oliver it's fine. It sounds like fun and Tommy and Laurel are… nice. Besides, I'm hungry as hell, so let's go." Felicity got up from the wheelchair and Oliver guided her to the Limo where she grabbed Tommy's outstretched hand and got herself seated inside the car.

The drive to the Restaurant had been a short one and all Felicity could do was listening to Laurel and Tommy talk about their wedding plans, possible menus, dress colors and more wedding stuff. Laurel apparently was in 100% wedding-mode, judging the way all the information bubbled out of her. Felicity had to giggle, normally she was the one who babbled around and people would stare at her. It was rare to meet someone who could talk as profusely as she did.

The group arrived at the Restaurant and were quickly led to their table. Their waiter, a tall young man with night goggles on his head, explained them all the basics of a Dinner in the Dark and quickly got everyone something to drink before reading the Menu out loud. After everyone made his order and the waiter left again, the first rumbling on the table was to be heard, followed by a giggle of, what appeared to be, Tommy.

"Shit, I think I spilled my drink" Laurel spoke up and both Oliver and Tommy burst into a fit of laughter.

"This isn't funny, Tommy!" she pouted and tried to smack his arm, which sent various forks and knifes shattering to the ground. "Oh god please help me. I'm pretty sure I'll kill someone before we even had Dessert! Is it always like that, Felicity?" Laurel asked with a slightly stressed out tone.

"Trust me, it gets better. The first day I was back home I managed to make havoc of my bathroom, my closet, shattered two vases, several mugs and I am pretty sure I'll never be able to get my bookshelf in alphabetical order again." Felicity giggled. "But after a few days I got comfortable mostly. At least with the surroundings that I knew before my accident. So this right now, we'll I think we're all in the same boat." she grinned.

"Was anyone able to locate their drink yet? I don't want to spill mine as well but I'd at least like to know what the waiter poured us" Tommy laughed and Oliver started fishing over the table, trying to find the stem of his glass. Felicity beat him to it and took a sip of her drink.  
"Hmmm, red wine. A pretty delicious one, too!" she hummed.

"Oh really? Barely 5 minutes after we have taken a seat and I already spilled red wine all over the table? Oh I damn hope that waiter returns soon with another fill up or I'll steal your drink, Merlyn." Laurel grinned in Tommy's direction while he tried to locate the glass on his table himself.

Olivers right hand ghosted along the tablecloth, trying to find Felicity's thigh. When he found it, he gently squeezed it, leaned in her direction and whispered in her ear.  
"Are you feeling fine? I know this is a weird situation."  
"I'm more than fine, actually. This is funny, stop worrying about me, Oliver." she said with a smile, letting her left hand with the cast rest above his hand on her thigh. He gently took her fingers and interlaced them with his before slowly starting to stroke the inside of her hand with his thumb. Felicitys heartbeat sped up at that, not knowing what to do in this situation. She just let him stroke her hand while he listened to Laurel and Tommy arguing over Tommy's glass of wine.

When the food had been served and Laurel received another glass of red, they started eating and continued to make a mess of their table, drinks and clothes.  
"Thank god I'm wearing black tonight. I'm not sure if anything else would survive the meat and wine stains I'm covered in already. Thank god it's dark outside, too. I'm pretty sure we'll look like idiots when we'll return to the Hotel later" Felicity laughed and everyone else on the table joined her.

After several bottles of red wine, 2 hours of laughing and giggling and food covering nearly everyone of them, they decided to pass Dessert and head back to the Hotel instead. Laurel and Felicity both felt a bit tipsy, Felicity because of the meds that she still had to take ("Apparently they still don't mix well with wine.") and Laurel because she managed to snag Tommy's wine glass several times after she emptied hers and the waiter wasn't quick enough with a refill.

When they took a seat in the Limo, Oliver put his arm around Felicity and pulled her into a strong hug. Tommy pulled a pea out of Laurels hair and threw it in Olivers direction.  
"Tommy, how dare you!" he mocked and took the pea to throw it back at him, hitting Laurel straight in the face instead. Resting her head on Tommy's shoulder starting to fall asleep though she didn't care at all. She just rubbed her nose and snuggled into Tommy's neck a bit more.

Felicity made the best out of her situation and rested her hand on Olivers chest. Her sunglasses long forgotten, thrown into her bag, she closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by Olivers strong heartbeat. Oliver pressed soft kisses to her head and nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling her scent. Tommy watched him the entire time and when Oliver looked up, he saw Tommy's blank stare and raised eyebrows. Oliver just shook his head, ending the silent conversation before it even started, resting his chin on Felicity's head again.

The car arrived at the Hotel and Tommy carried Laurel into the Lobby to put her into one of the Lounge chairs, his jacket securely wrapped around her shoulders. When he got back to the car, Oliver had placed an equally sleepy Felicity in her wheelchair already, starting to head for the elevators when Tommy stopped him.  
"Don't break her heart, buddy. She's a good girl." Tommy silently said to Oliver while keeping an eye on Felicity to make sure she won't wake up.

Oliver took a few steps away from the wheelchair, pulling Tommy with him. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Tommy. I'm not going to break anyone's heart!"

"Does she know you'll be leaving back home on Monday? Does she know about your life in Starling? Heck, does she even know about Isabel? Look Ollie, you know I'm the last person to tell you how to live your life, but this girl –" pointing in Felicity's direction, who still sat in her wheelchair sound asleep "- she is so light hearted and lovely, she doesn't deserve any of that."

Tommy caught him off guard. Oliver didn't even know what to think, let alone say to that.  
"What do you think I'll do? Fuck her and then dump her just in time before I'll board the flight back home? You should know me better than that, Tommy. You, of all people!" he spat out, not caring for other people in the Lobby giving them a confused look.

"Relax, that's not what I said, buddy. Just… do the right thing, Ollie. See you tomorrow."  
Tommy patted his shoulder and turned to pick up Laurel and head upstairs to their room. Oliver just stood in the lobby, looking at Tommy and Laurel leaving for the elevator, processing what Tommy just said to him. He didn't want to break Felicity's heart. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit that he would want to take her home to Starling City with him, just to spend more time with her, get to know her better and see where things lead them. But he knew that wasn't possible.

When he rolled her out of the elevator and to her Room, he picked out her key card and opened the door. Lifting her out of the wheelchair slightly woke her up and Felicity curled her nose deep into Olivers neck and hummed slightly while he carried her to her bed. Oliver moved all her clothing from the bed and placed her onto it, helping her out of her dress and taking off her earrings. When he pulled the blanked over her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, put her phone and sunglasses on the nightstand and left the room with a sigh.

Sleep came slowly for him, Olivers mind kept him occupied with memories of the last 2 days. "Two freaking days" he murmured to himself. That's all it took to make him fall head over heels for Felicity. So much even his best friend and apparently his sister have noticed, too. With thoughts about their very first conversation and the sound of rumbling and rain hitting the balcony door, Oliver drifted off to sleep.

When his phone started buzzing on his desk, he got out of bed with a groan and picked it up.  
It was 2:14am. Who would call him at that time? When he looked at the caller ID he quickly answered.  
"Felicity, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…. uhm… did I wake you? I'm so sorry."

"Felicity, what's wrong?"

"I just awoke and… uh… I know this is crazy to ask in the middle of the night, but… could you get me something to drink maybe? The thunderstorm woke me up and I ran out of water and I'm thirsty as hell. And the receptionist told us when we checked in not to drink the water from the faucet and I don't know how to call the Reception and –"

"Felicity. I'm on my way. Any preferences?"

"Just water."

When another thunder rumbled through the night, Felicity jumped back. She hated thunderstorms with every fiber of her body, even more since she lost her eyesight. They freaked her out and kept her awake all night. Just as the rain got heavier and hit the windows of her room hard, she heard a soft knock at her door. She quickly got out of bed and hopped to the door, not caring that she was just in her underwear. She opened and let Oliver in.

"I got you water, orange juice and some kind of lemon soda." He said when he took a seat on the edge of her bed. She hopped back in and crawled under her blankets again.

"Water please, I just need to get rid of that taste in my mouth." Felicity said and took the bottle from his hands. Just when she put the cap back on the bottle, another thunder rumbled through the night and she jerked back.

"Hey, calm down, everything's okay." Oliver moved up the bed to sit next to her, wrapping her in his strong arms. "I hate thunderstorms, they freak me out." she frowned and Oliver tightened his grip on her. When Felicity realized he was just wearing sleep shorts and a T-Shirt, she stiffened.  
"Oliver, did you go down to the Lobby like this?"

"Of course I did, it's 2am. Do you think I put on a suit just because someone might see me like this?" he grinned and Felicity had to giggle.  
They kept talking for a few more minutes and Felicity visibly relaxed in his arms. When she yawned, Oliver slowly released her and started making his way back to the door, only to be stopped by her hand on his wrist.

"Stay… please." Felicity said shyly.

"Felicity… are you sure?"

"Yes, please. Just… stay with me tonight. I don't want to wake up to the thunderstorm alone again… please, Oliver?" she moved to the side of the bed, lifting the blanket slowly, urging him to join her.

He hesitated for a long moment, unsure on what to do. Eventually he kicked off his shoes and socks and settled in next to her. He put his phone next to hers on the nightstand, turned off the lights and lowered his head onto the pillow next to her. Felicity turned to the side, resting her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her, slowly drawing circles with his fingers on her back. He kissed her head gently and Felicity rested her left hand on his stomach, her fingers slightly slipping under the hem of his shirt. Touching his skin sent sparks through her entire body and she couldn't stop herself from starting to gently stroke his abs with her finger tips. Oliver seemed to notice because she could feel him tense up.

"Felicity… you're supposed to sleep."

"Oh I'm sorry, **_mom_** , but it's scary outside and I need to calm down first before I can fall asleep again." she challenged him.

"Oh, and stroking my stomach calms you down?" he grinned at her.

"Absolutely."

"Well then, keep going." he laughed.

Felicity kept stroking his abs very slightly, just letting her fingertips graze over his skin, tracing the thin line of hair from his navel down to the waistband of his sleep shorts and back up. When Olivers heartbeat slowed down and his breathing became more calm and deep, Felicity became more confident. She slowly moved her hand up his abs to his chest, ruffling his shirt up in the process. Felicity kept stroking his chest and stomach slightly and placed her face on his chest again. When she felt naked skin on her cheek, she gave his chest a gentle kiss before relaxing into him again. Her actions woke Oliver up again and just before her fingertips started tracing the thin line of hair below his navel again, his hand gripped her arm and stopped her movement.

"Fe-li-ci-ty… what are you doing?" he grumbled silently into her hair, kissing her head.

"…can't sleep" she mumbled into his T-Shirt.

"You really need to stop that because I can't sleep either if you keep doing this."

"What if I don't want you to fall asleep?" she said before kissing his chest again, her lips slightly grazing his left nipple and he hissed at the feeling.  
Oliver took a deep breath. "Felicity you really need to stop. We should get some rest now."

When Oliver let go of her arm, her fingers started wandering over his stomach again, below his navel and down his hips over his sleep shorts until she could feel a very prominent bulge. Oliver hissed at her touch. "You sure you can sleep with that?"

Oliver took Felicity's hand, rolled her on her back and towered above her, his bulge pressing firmly into her hips. He pinned her hands above her head and leaned down to kiss her.  
"As much as I would love to keep doing this right now, we really can't Felicity. I'll leave on Monday and I don't want ruin the amazing weekend we had by messing this up now. I don't want to break your heart, Felicity. So please, PLEASE let's just sleep, enjoy each others company tonight and see what tomorrow brings." he said, kissing her forehead gently.

Felicity just nodded, not able to say anything. Her mind was racing over what Oliver just said to her but she couldn't understand. She wanted this, wanted him and she knew very well that he would be leaving the next day, which was why she behaved bolder than she'd ever been. But apparently Oliver didn't want to sleep with her, she just couldn't put her finger on the reason behind it.

Was it because she was temporarily blind? Was he afraid she might not see and know what to do?  
Or wasn't she attractive enough? "Yeah, nope… the bulge in his pants said enough" she thought to herself.  
With her mind racing, she turned to the side with Oliver curling up behind her, draping his arm over her ribs to let it rest on her stomach. He nuzzled her neck and peppered her shoulder with kisses.  
"Good night, angel wings" he said and closed his eyes.

It took them both a long time to finally fall asleep.


	5. Last night

Felicity woke up to birds chirping and the sun warming her skin, momentarily disoriented by her surroundings. It took her a couple of seconds to realize she was in her room, safely tucked in her bed with the feeling of a warm body behind her back and an arm draped over her side, tugging her close to said body. She inhaled sharply at the warm press of the body against her. Oliver was spooned up behind her with his arm over her waist. Felicity closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy his embrace.  
When she let out a sigh, Oliver moved behind her and flipped so he was above her.  
"Good morning," his voice was rough, laced with sleep. She could feel him lean in, but Felicity hastily pulled the sheet up in between them to block his lips from hers.

"Hi," she mumbled through the fabric.

His brows furrowed in amusement. "Hi," he chuckled. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but there was kissing last night."  
Felicity nodded quickly but kept her mouth firmly under the sheet.

"Kissing that doesn't seem to be happening now..."  
She wiggled away from under him and rolled to the side of the bed, taking the sheet with her in the process. "There was. But you know, morning breath" she mumbled. "I need a shower. And a toothbrush. And I need to pee. Not particularly in that order though because I need to pee REALLY bad."

Oliver laughed out, got up from her bed and rubbed his neck, unsure what to do next. He could offer to join her in the shower, you know… saving water, helping the environment and all that stuff.  
"Yeah no… not the best idea" he thought to himself.  
"Well, I'll head upstairs and take a shower as well then. See you at breakfast?"

"I need to talk to my nurse first. I have doctor's appointments starting next week and I need to sort some things out with him first. What about meeting at the Pool instead? You could snag me some fruits from the Breakfast Buffet so I won't have to bother anyone to get me some food." she grinned.

"So your nurse will bring you down to the Pool later?"

"I honestly have no idea if he's still in Spain at all, I literally haven't heard from him since yesterday morning. Not that I miss him…" she laughed.

"Alright, I'll see you later then." He kissed her forehead and left the room. Felicity sank back into bed, processing the last night she spent with Oliver. In her bed. In nothing more than her underwear. Her very lacy and obviously very see-through underwear.  
"Oh god I really need a cold shower" she muttered to herself and hopped into the bathroom.

Oliver met Tommy and Laurel at the Restaurant and took a seat at their table. Laurel tried to hide her face behind the biggest sunglasses Oliver had ever seen and nibbled on some fruits while Tommy poured himself and Oliver a cup of coffee.

"Sleep well, buddy? You weren't in your room this morning when I knocked… rough night?" he grinned and handed Oliver the coffee mug.

"Could you lower your voices a bit, please? Thank you. I have the worst hangover ever and my head feels like it's going to explode" Laurel grumbled while she sank deeper in her seat "I'll never drink so much wine again." Oliver just shook his head and laughed while Tommy handed her an Aspirine.

"So?"

"So what, Tommy?" Oliver put the coffee mug down and sent Tommy a questioning look over the table.

"So, where were you last night?"

Oliver sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand.  
"Well you aren't going to drop the topic anyway, so… I spent the night at Felicity's."  
Before Tommy could say something, Oliver cut him off  
"BUT it's not what you think! Nothing happened, she just freaked out over the thunderstorm and needed something to drink, so she called me and I went over there. End of story."

"And then you forgot your way back to your room and decided to sleep in her bed instead, I see" he waggled his eyebrows and gave Oliver a look while sipping on his coffee.

"Nothing happened, Tommy. She just asked me to stay because of the thunderstorm. I actually listened to your words last night, not that I planned on breaking her heart in the first place. She's awesome, and I asked her to stay in contact once we're back home."

"What did she say?" It was Laurel who spoke up and joined their conversation, nipping on her strong black coffee, making a face at the taste.

"Well she didn't answer yet, but I'm going to discuss it with her later at the Pool."

"Oh the Pool sounds awesome, I could really need some chill out time today and still need to work on my tan as well. Tommy?"

Tommy agreed to spend the last day at the Pool and gave Laurel a kiss on the cheek. They fell into easy conversation at the table, Tommy asking Oliver about the date at the Zoo that he had with Felicity the day before while Laurel kept dissecting the food on her plate instead of actually eating anything. When they agreed to meet down at the Pool later, Oliver excused himself from the table and headed to the Lobby. He still had one day with Felicity before he would have to return to Starling City the next morning and he wanted to surprise her once more.

Oliver already occupied a lounger when Tommy and Laurel arrived at the Pool. Laurel took the free spot next to Oliver and Tommy pulled another lounge bed next to her. They put their stuff down and Tommy nudged Olivers foot.  
"Come on buddy, let's get inside! I bet your ass hasn't seen any of the Pool water since we arrived here! Let's go scare some kids!"

Oliver groaned. "Naah, not interested. Take Laurel!"

" 'Take Laurel' my ass! I am not leaving this chair and if any of you dare to splash water at me, you'll feel the wrath of a hung-over fiancée, so watch your moves!" she kept a straight face and waggled a finger in both Oliver's and Tommy's direction before resting her head back into the lounger.

"You're going to marry that woman, you know that, right?" Oliver grinned at Tommy which earned him a smack on the chest from Laurel.  
"Don't forget that we were dating once, too, Queen! Don't make me tell the world things they don't want to know about you!" she snapped at him and Tommy just grinned at Oliver.

After Tommy convinced Oliver to at least get into the Pool with him so he wouldn't have to swim alone, Oliver's phone started ringing. Laurel got up from her lounger to check who was calling.  
"Ollie, Felicity's calling!" she called in their direction, but Tommy and Oliver were too distracted with stealing a beach ball from some kids at the other end of the Pool, so Laurel took the call.

"Felicity? Hey, it's Laurel."

Felicity hesitated for a moment. "Oh, uhm… hi. Where's Oliver?"

"Oh, he's in the Pool right now with Tommy, that's why I picked up the phone. Should I call him over?"

"No! No, I mean… could you let him know I called and ask him if he could come pick me up, please? I can't get down to the Pool alone and – "

"I could do that, too!" Laurel quickly interrupted her. "It would take Ollie longer to get upstairs anyway now that they're in the Pool and I haven't been in the water at all, so… I could be at your room in a few minutes."

Felicity didn't know what to say. It wasn't that she and Laurel talked much last night, even though Laurel seemed nice, maybe a bit hesitant at first, but definitely friendly. And she had a point. Oliver would need way longer to towel himself, put on some clothes and get upstairs to pick her up, so she agreed.  
"Sure, why not? I'm at Room 457. There should be a wheelchair waiting outside of my room, unless some kids took it for a ride again."

"Great, I'll be there in 5 minutes!"

Laurel hung up, put Olivers phone back on his lounger and grabbed her sundress. The boys didn't even notice her when she made her way around the Pool and back into the Hotel area.

It took Laurel only a few minutes to arrive at Felicity's room after she hung up and Felicity was quick to open her door after Laurel knocked.  
"Okay, I have never done this before, do I have to bring over the wheelchair?" Laurel asked.

"I can handle that, it's just that I can't find the elevator and stuff like that." Felicity said and took a seat in the wheelchair. "Could you just grab my handbag from the bed, please?"

Laurel went into Felicity's room to get her bag when she saw the loads of shirts, dresses and skirts on Felicity's bed. "Oh my god you have so many nice dresses! We totally need to go shopping some time!" she yelled and Felicity could hear a slight excitement in Laurel's voice. It made her smile.

"We can totally do that, but I'm a bit of… restricted right now, when it comes to shopping."

"You just need someone with great taste that could advise you on styles and colors, that's all." Laurel smiled and put the handbag in Felicity's lap.

"But do we even have the same taste?" Felicity asked, a bit amused. She was happy the conversation with Laurel started so easily.

"Oh I'd say we're completely different. On all kinds. Except for Ollie."

Felicity turned her head to look up to Laurel who realized what she said at that moment.  
"You and Oliver….?" Felicity asked, confusion clearly visible in her expression while she kept her eyes on Laurel.

"Oh, uh… yeah, we were dating once, but it's been years ago and we quickly realized we're not meant for each other. But our friendship has become stronger than ever after it. I guess we needed that to realize we're better off as friends. And o course I have Tommy now, and he's just… he's perfect."

Felicity's entire body relaxed at Laurel's explanation and the way she talked about Tommy made it very clear that she and Oliver are a thing of the past, so she didn't give it any more thought.

Felicity took the time with Laurel to find out more about Oliver and his friends and his life in Starling City. Laurel told her about their time in High School when she met Tommy and Oliver, how they spent every summer together in the Queen Mansion and how Oliver and Tommy once got arrested for peeing on a Cop car and Laurel had to beg her dad to release them and they all got grounded for 6 weeks in return. Felicity couldn't contain a laugh and both women arrived at the Pool area with a smile on their faces, clearly enjoying themselves. When Tommy spotted them, he threw the beach ball at the back of Olivers head and pointed to the side of the Pool.

"Seems they're getting along just fine." Tommy said when Oliver swam up next to him. "And you know Laurel. She's not the easiest person when it comes to meeting new people, especially women."

"I really like her, Tommy. I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing." Oliver said, never keeping his eyes off Felicity, who gestured around with her hands wildly while speaking, laughing and smiling while Laurel rolled her to their sun beds.

"What about Isabel?"

"Isabel and I are long over, you know that. She made her decision and I know it took me a while to accept it, but I made mine now, too. And honestly? I don't care if she changed her mind and wants me back now. It took me long enough to get over her and once I did that, I realized how bad we were for each other…"

"Yeah but there's still –"

Oliver cut him off. "I know, Tommy, I know. And I try not to think about it too much."

"Well you can't ignore it forever, buddy."

"For now I'd like to focus on Felicity. I really want to make it work, I just don't know if she would want that, too…"

"Then ask her. Easy as that." Tommy said, splashing water in Oliver's face.

Laurel prepared the lounge bed next to Oliver for Felicity and put her bag down. When the boys returned to their side of the Pool, both women were casually talking. Tommy got out of the Pool and threw himself on Laurel who squeaked in surprise.  
"Tommy! What the hell! Get off me!" she protested and tried to smack him with her magazine but Tommy just shook his head and covered her in a shower of water drops. Oliver got out of the Pool, took a seat on his lounger and slowly let drops of water fall onto Felicity's stomach and legs. While he lowered his head to her neck area and kissed her cheek gently.

"Hi," he whispered and Felicity had to giggle at the tickle of his beard on her neck and the water drops on her body. "I missed you. And I got a surprise for you!"

"Oooooh, I love surprises, what is it?" Felicity grinned in his direction.

"You'll see… later." He kissed her cheek and relaxed back into his lounge bed. Felicity looked to the sky, letting the sun warm her skin when her hand ghosted over to his side and started searching for his fingers. Oliver gently put his hand in hers and interlaced fingers with her.  
"So…. Laurel and you, huh?" Felicity teased, never taking her face away from the sun.

Oliver stopped all his movements and gave her a confused look.  
"Laurel told me. I guess it just slipped out, she didn't actually wanted to tell. But I don't mind, Oliver. I hear the way she talks about Tommy and the way they interact with each other. And it's clear that there are no romantic feelings left between you and her, so why should I bother?"

Oliver relaxed and looked over to Laurel, who was still busy fighting off her fiancée and his tickle-attacks. He was happy that Felicity didn't bother about his past with Laurel, a thing that worried him since Felicity and Laurel met for the first time.

"And it's not that we're a couple anyway, so who am I to judge?" Felicity quickly added and Oliver's heart dropped.

"Felicity… I know after today things will be different, but… would you let me visit you when you're back home? I meant what I said yesterday at the Zoo… I don't want this to be a bubble that will explode as soon as I leave. I want to get to know you, Felicity… I want to spend time with you, not only a weekend in Europe. I want to take you to dinner, to a Restaurant where I can actually read the menu." Felicity couldn't contain a small laugh at that. It was hard enough for her to understand the people down at the Reception, so she could only imagine how difficult reading spanish menus would be.

Oliver could see her stiffening her body, struggling to find an answer. "Seriously, Felicity… please give it a try. Let ME give it a try. Let me at least visit you in LA." He gently squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb in her palm.

Without giving it too much a thought, she agreed. "Maybe this could really work" she thought to herself.  
"Yeah, why not? I mean… I still owe you a Zoo visit and a Dinner date, so…"

Oliver grinned like a little child and leaned over to kiss Felicity's forehead.  
"I can't wait to show you what I have planned for today" he said.

They spent the day at the Pool, talking about Laurel's wedding dress and their (way too big for Tommy's liking) guest list. The wedding cake filling seemingly caused a heated discussion between bride and groom and Oliver and Felicity both laughed at them when yet another fight started about it. Tommy and Laurel both learned about Felicity's accident and Oliver never let go of her hand while she spoke about it. When the sun started to set and people left the Pool area to get dressed for Dinner, the group got ready for leaving as well.

"Any plans for tonight already? Maybe we could – " Laurel asked and Oliver quickly cut her off.

"Actually, I have something planned for Felicity and me, so we can't join you. But I'm sure you're going to be fine, Laurel. Just keep your hands off the wine." he grinned and Tommy had to giggle while Laurel gave him a look above her sunglasses.

"Well then, have fun guys. It was really nice meeting you, Felicity. Please tell Ollie to let us know when you'll be in the City. We should have Dinner then!" Laurel said while getting up, giving Felicity a hug.

Tommy also went over to hug her and tell his goodbyes. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Felicity. You should really consider visiting Ollie any time soon in Starling. I need to see that pretty face of yours again soon." he said, giving her a peck on the cheek and a wholehearted hug.

"Tomorrow morning in the Lobby, 11am, don't be late or we'll leave without you!" Tommy said, pointing a finger in Olivers direction before they made their way back inside the Hotel.

When Oliver and Felicity started to get ready to leave as well, Felicity's nurse came over. Oliver just raised his eyebrows but remained silent.  
"Miss Smoak, there you are! I just talked to the Marbella Clinic, your first appointment for a general check-up is tomorrow morning at 10.30am and the others are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday so you have enough time to recover until we'll fly back home. I just need to discuss times with them for these two appointments. Would you like to go down to the Restaurant tonight or will you eat in your room?"

"Actually, I already have plans for tonight. You can take the night off – or however you call it. I'll call if something comes up." she said, keeping her tone as casual as possible, even though her nurse annoyed her as hell.

"Well then… have a nice evening." he said and left the Pool area again.

"What a charmer," Oliver said "you would be SO lost without him!"

Felicity giggled "Yeah, whatever. I mean, it's not that I'm scrambling to spend all my time together with him, so I won't complain. Plus, I don't have to pay him for the job, so…" she shrugged.

They gathered their stuff, Felicity took a seat in the wheelchair and Oliver rolled her back to her room.  
"I'll see you in 2 hours, don't put on anything too fancy, I'll go casual as well." He whispered into her hair from behind the wheelchair. "I'll call you before I head downstairs to pick you up. Call it a 10 minute warning," he joked before her turned around the wheelchair, got on his knees in front of her and gently kissed her on the lips. Felicity froze on the spot, not expecting him to do that, but quickly kissed him back. It was a quick kiss, chaste, not too intimate, but it made Felicity's toes curl nonetheless. When Oliver pulled back and got up again, she didn't move for another few seconds.

"God, I wanted to do that all day," Oliver admitted and Felicity smiled at him.  
"Then do it again." she said, before getting up, grabbing his shirt and pulling him to her. When their noses touched, she put her arms around his neck and let him pull her up into his arms. Felicity's feet were dangling above the ground but Oliver held her to his chest tightly and she realized how big he actually was compared to her.

Oliver started kissing her again, kissing her with more intensity than the first time, while Felicity wrapped her legs around him and pulled him as close as she could. Olivers hand dropped to her thigh, his fingers slowly sliding under the hem of her skirt. Felicity teased his lips with her tongue and Oliver eagerly replied. When he pulled back for a breath, Felicity started kissing his neck and jaw and Oliver had to groan. They were making out, on her Hotel Floor, in front of her open door.

"You really need to stop doing that, Felicity. Not that I mind making out in public." he said, and Felicity grinded her hips over the very prominent bulge that formed in Oliver's pants. "Come inside with me, Oliver." she whispered while gently biting his earlobe. Oliver hissed and groaned into her neck.

"We can't, Felicity. And I don't want you to miss the surprise I have for you." He grabbed her ankle, unlocked her legs from behind him and gently set her down on her feet. With one last kiss on her lips he started moving away. "I'll pick you up in 2 hours."

Oliver needed to get away from her fast, before he would throw all his plans for the evening over board and just take her in her Hotel room. No, that's not what he had planned for tonight, but he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted her – badly. "I definitely need a cold shower" he muttered to himself on his way to his Room.

Felicity just stood in front of her Room, unable to move a muscle. Her mind was spinning like crazy, though. She wanted him so badly and obviously Oliver felt the same about her, but he pulled back yet again. Gaining strength in her feet again, she made her way inside the Hotel room. She was determined to find out why Oliver pulled back every time she tried to make a move. But she needed to get ready, too.

When Felicity's phone rang, she just got out of the bathroom, putting on some earrings and a bracelet. Oliver let her know he'd be at her door in 10 minutes and she was quick to finish straightening her hair.

When she heard a knock, she hopped to the door and opened.  
"You look beautiful, Felicity." Oliver greeted her, kissing her cheek.

Felicity gave him an honest smile, one that Oliver often received from her in the last 3 days. "Well I would love to say the same about you but you know… I have no idea." she laughed. "But considering the way you smell I'm sure you must look stunning." she said before inhaling his scent again.

Oliver lifted her up into his arms and Felicity let out a surprised squeal. "Ah there it is again, the carrying around. Can say I genuinely missed it" Felicity laughed. "Will you carry me around all the time tonight? I really hope you do" she teased and Oliver had to giggle.  
"In fact, I will, Miss Smoak." But we won't be walking around much anyway, so…"

They made their way downstairs and through the Restaurant area. Oliver spotted Tommy and Laurel having Dinner and Tommy waved him, giving him a thumbs-up that made Oliver laugh.  
"What's wrong?" Felicity asked.  
"Hm?"  
"You were giggling. Did I think out loud again?"  
"No, no… I just spotted Tommy and Laurel are sitting over there he waved us."

When Oliver kept walking and the noise of the Restaurant became much quieter, Felicity got suspicious.  
"So we're not eating at the Restaurant?"

"Nope," Oliver grinned. "We'll eat at some place a little more… romantic."

When Oliver sat her down, Felicity could hear the waves crashing a lot louder than just from the Restaurant area. As soon as her feet touched a soft blanket and she could feel the sand moving under her feet, she looked around.  
"Oliver, are we at the beach? But didn't you say we'll have Dinner? I haven't eaten anything since breakfast!" she pouted and Oliver couldn't stop grinning at her ramble.

"Relax, beautiful. We'll have Dinner at the beach. I figured we should have some time alone and the Restaurant was too crowded for my liking. So I arranged some kind of private beach Picnic just for the two of us. We have fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, bread, red wine…"

Felicity just sat there, staring in his direction, unable to form a complete sentence. This man did more for her in these 3 days that they spent together than Cooper did for her in the entire relationship and it all felt a bit surreal to her. For the first time since the accident she hated her temporary blindness so much. She wanted to look into his face so badly, wanted to stare into his eyes and just get lost in them. God, she didn't even know what eye color he has… or what hair color!

"Blue. And blonde." he said, and Felicity could basically hear him grin.

"I said that out loud, didn't I? Oh god, I sometimes hate my mouth…." she blushed, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Oh I don't know… I kind of like your mouth," Oliver smiles.

"Yeah well, apparently you didn't like it enough to follow it into the Hotel room earlier" she bluntly replied and takes Oliver by surprise.

"It's not that I don't want Felicity… you should have realized that. It's just…" he struggled to find the right words while shifting on the blanket, "I want to make it right with you, and sleeping with you is something that definitely would feel right I'm sure. I just don't want to rush anything, or give you the feeling that this is just some vacation hookup, because for me it isn't, Felicity."

He took her hand in his and gently stroked her palm when Felicity's stomach made a loud gurgling sound. "Oh god, there it is again, the horrible sound of my belly that makes it sound like I'm trying to starve my stomach to death" she blushed. "I really hope we'll eat something soon. I don't want you having to hear that sound again." Felicity laughed and put her hands on her stomach.

Oliver pulled some plates out of a large picnic basket and poured them both a glass of wine. Together they started eating in silence mostly, listening to the waves crashing in the background and the silent noise of the Hotel guests in the Restaurant above. It was Felicity who started speaking again.

There's still so much I don't know about you and yet I feel like I can trust you, it's crazy. I haven't met many people that felt trustworthy, especially since my accident. Apparently the blindness doesn't only take away your eyesight, it also takes away all trust you seemed to have in people. At least in my case. I mean, I don't trust easily at all. But since everything went black around me, it feels so hard to behave normal in public. Every touch makes me jump, my ears are working twice as much as they should be because I try to hear as much as possible to compensate the blindness, people too close to me freak me out, … but I'm having none of that when I'm with you. And it feels really nice, relaxing." Felicity said and Oliver just sat there, listening to her.  
"But there's still so much I would like to know about you. Mostly things I would know already if I could see you," she admitted "but also personal stuff, just things about your life like your job and your family."

"Would you want me to tell you now?" Oliver answered.

"Sure! If you don't mind?"

"Well you already know I'm Quarterback at the Starling Archers. We're not able to play at the moment, though, which is why I was able to go on vacation with Tommy and my family in the first place. Our Sponsor backed off the contract that we had with him and now we're running out of money to run the team. And as long as they can't find a new Sponsor, we can't go out in the field, which is pretty frustrating, to be honest. I have offers from other Teams, but I don't want to leave the Archers. At least not yet, even though my family tries to convince me otherwise."

"Well I think you should do what you want to, not what your family thinks. If I would have done what my mother wanted me to, I would be running a Cocktail Bar in Vegas by now, being married to a Stripper or something." she joked before she took a sip of her wine.

"I want you to promise me something, Felicity." Oliver blurted out, surprising himself as much as he surprised Felicity in that moment, but he couldn't stop his mouth.  
"Hm?" she just said while still sipping on her wine.

"Promise me I can visit you as soon as you're back in LA. I don't want to leave tomorrow and have nothing to hold onto. Please?"

Felicity sat her wine glass down and gave him a smile.  
"Like I told you at the Pool earlier, I still owe you a Zoo visit and a Dinner Date. Well and a Picnic now, too, as it seems. So yes, I would very much like for you to visit me when I'm back home."

Oliver let out a breath he didn't know he was holding for several long seconds now and Felicity still kept her smile plastered on her face. When a cold breeze came from the ocean, she shivered and Oliver went to her side and threw a blanket over them. She relaxed her head on his shoulder and listened to the waves crashing and the almost silence of the night. Oliver put his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side.

"This feels so different. I've never felt like this before, especially not after a few days," she admitted and Oliver gently kissed her hair.

"It feels the same for me" he admitted. "But I like it. It feels good – right."

Together they sat at the beach for a little while longer, talked about Tommy and Laurel's wedding date, and Oliver told her about how Laurel first dated him and then Tommy after they broke up.

"God, it will be so boring here without you. There's not even enough music on my iPod to fill a whole boring day at the Pool" she sighed when she heard Oliver fishing around in her handbag.  
"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing, I just checked for the time" he lied, when Felicity relaxed her head back onto his shoulder. Oliver took her phone, unlocked it and opened the Camera to take a quick selfie of her and him. She didn't notice and he silently threw the phone back into her bag.

When Felicity started to shiver again, Oliver decided to call it a day and head upstairs.

Once they arrived at her door and Oliver sat her down, Felicity threw her arms around him and hugged him. "I want to ask you to stay the night with me, but I'm afraid to hear another 'No' from you… but would you stay with me tonight? You could even leave your clothes on, I just don't want to spend the last night that we have here alone. There will be enough lonely nights coming after this one."  
She whispered into his chest and to her surprise, Oliver immediately agreed.

They left the wheelchair on the floor and headed into her room. It was still a mess and Oliver wondered if Felicity had any clothes in her closet at home or if she'd throw them around like this all the time. Felicity quickly got rid of her dress and hopped into the bathroom while Oliver took off his shirt and shorts and got into bed. When Felicity got out of the bathroom, Oliver lifted the sheet and let her snuggle in next to him before he draped the blanket over them. When she snuggled into his side she could feel his broad chest and his very firm and very naked abs and froze in the spot.

"You lost some clothes" she smiled and inhaled his scent when she buried her face in his neck.

"I hate sleeping with Shorts, so I thought I made myself comfortable. And I mean," he grinned, while gently stroking her leg up over her hipbone to her ribs, "it's not that you're overdressed right now either."

"Mister Queen," she teased, "stop that or I'll climb you like a coconut tree!" Felicity warned him, stopping the hand on her hips with her own.

"Is that a challenge, Miss Smoak?"

"A promise." she teased him, gently scratching her fingernails over his chest and abs, down to the waistband of his boxer briefs. Oliver inhaled sharply at the contact and was about to stop her hand when she took it away, gave him a kiss on the chest and turned her back to him.

"Goodnight, Oliver." she teased him before snuggling her back into his side. She had to try very hard not to burst out laughing, especially after hearing Oliver groan from frustration.

"Two could play that game" she thought to herself and drifted off to sleep.

It took Oliver a while to calm down before he turned on his side and pulled her body flush to his, draped his arm over her waist and fell asleep with his nose buried in her hair.


	6. an unsatisfying day

**The nurse finally has a name! :D**

Oliver awoke to soft lips traveling over his chest and stomach and for a few seconds he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or already awake. When he opened his eyes to see a mass of blonde curls spread over his chest, traveling down his body, he realized where he was and that he in fact was awake.  
"What. Are. You. Doing?" he hissed, when Felicity kissed his nipple and softly grazed it with her teeth.  
"Waking you up, obviously." She mumbled into his chest while peppering it with kisses.

Oliver tried to stop her movements but failed miserably. "We shouldn't do that – "

Without any expression, Felicity looked up and into his face. "Oliver, I'm a grown woman and I very well know what I should and shouldn't do. And apparently your body agrees with me, so if you would shut up and let me get back to work now, I'd appreciate that." she grinned while lowering her lips to his body again and Oliver just cocked an eyebrow at her.  
"I know you're making a face at me." she mumbled into his belly while letting her fingers travel down to the waistband of his boxer briefs, and before she could make any more move, Oliver pulled her up, rolled her on her back and towered over her, grinding his hips into her thigh hard.

Felicity couldn't contain an evil grin and a chuckle. "I'm surprised. It's not that hard to break you… I like that." she whispered and Oliver immediately started kissing her.

He kissed her, long and hard and wet, and she thought she might combust when his lips went to her neck again. She panted heavily when Oliver gently bit on her pulse point and couldn't contain a moan when he let his hands travel over her thigh. And then his phone started ringing.  
Oliver didn't hear it at first through his lustful haze, until he felt Felicity's growl against his neck. He pulled away to look at her, and there was an indescribable intensity covering her face. All doubts that he had about doing the right thing with her – they flew overboard when he saw her face, in that moment.

Almost shakily, he reached onto the nightstand, took his phone and answered the call through gritted teeth.  
"Don't be late, buddy!" a male voice bleared through the speaker before Oliver even had the chance to put the phone to his ear.  
Oliver just growled into the phone, mumbled something that, to Felicity, sounded a lot like "Fuck you, Tommy" and threw the phone back onto the nightstand.

At another growl, followed by a sigh from Oliver, Felicity started to laugh and wrapped her arms around his broad back to hug him as hard as she could.

"Guess we have to re-schedule," she chuckled. "Do you think the airport security will let you pass with this?" she giggled, grinding her hips into his still very prominent erection.

"Fuck, you're going to have to stop doing that." He warned her, moving his hand gently down her waist, stilling her movements immediately.

"What if I don't want to stop?" she challenged him. "What time is it?"

Oliver checked his phone again. "8.15am…"

"Well that means we still have over an hour left until I need to get ready for my doctor's appointment. And I know a lot of things two could do in one hour… in a comfy Hotel bed… with almost no clothes on…" she whispered while kissing his jaw and neck, down to his shoulder. Oliver took a deep breath to calm himself, his arousal becoming more and more evident to Felicity. When she wrapped her right leg around his waist and pulled him closer to her, she could feel him, hard, against her. It was all it took to finally make Oliver snap.

He started kissing her more forcefully while letting his hand explore her body. When he gently stroked her breast, without removing the bra, Felicity let out a soft moan and arched her back into his palm. Oliver gently kissed her down her neck, to her earlobe, before nipping on her Industrial Piercing. "We shouldn't be doing this" he whispered into her ear and Felicity just moaned softly. When he found her pulse point and gently bit on it, she inhaled deeply and rolled her hips into his.  
Oliver grabbed the strap of her bra with his teeth and pulled it over her shoulder while Felicity enjoyed the feeling of Oliver's strong body all over her. He followed the path of the strap down her arm and gently kissed his way over her body until he reached her right breast. When he gave the fabric a light pull and freed her nipple of the garment, he gently started kissing and sucking on it. Felicity threw her hand around his neck and tried to pull Oliver deeper into her chest while stroking the hair of his neck softly. He released her nipple and made his way over to the other one when suddenly there was a pounding on her door.

"Miss Smoak? Are you awake?"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" he growled into her chest when the pounding at her door proceeded.

"Miss Smoak, we still need to discuss your doctor's appointment later. Would you want me to bring you breakfast to your room? I'm sure you're allowed to eat as it's just a general check-up…" the voice said and Oliver rubbed his face in frustration while he rolled over and got off from Felicity.

Felicity exhaled loudly and pulled the strap of her bra back in place when it knocked at her door a third time. "Miss Smoak, are you all right?"

"YES, Nick… I am awake and you can stop pounding my door to death now. And NO, Nick, I do not want to have breakfast in my room. I'll meet you at the Lobby at 10, you don't have to pick me up from my room. Thank you!" she growled at her door, her tone a mix of frustration and anger

When there wasn't an answer and the pounding stopped as well, she sighed and threw her pillow through the room in frustration. Oliver just stared at her and immediately started to giggle when he saw her pouting face hidden behind blonde strains that fell all over her face.  
"I can't believe the timing of that man!" she practically yelled into the room, wildly gesturing around with her arms. "Never there when you'd actually need him, but that ONE time I could very well do without him, he has to come up and interrupt us! It would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculous…." she pouted while kicking the blanket off her feet and out of the bed.

"Maybe it was a sign?" Oliver said. "Maybe we should wait…"

She looked him straight in the face. "Please spare me that speech right now, Oliver. Does any of that feel like waiting?" she asked, letting her hand roam over his stomach before grabbing his erection over the boxer briefs, raising an eyebrow at him.

Oliver groaned, but stopped her movements and gently took her hand away before getting out of the bed to put his clothes back on. Felicity threw her head back into the pillow with a loud sigh and mumbled "God damn, why didn't I bring my vibrator with me?"

Oliver's eyes shot up, unsure if he heard her right

"Maybe I should just finish it myself" she proceeded and Oliver was quick to climb the bed, straddle her hips, grab her wrists and lock them over her head before he lowered his lips to her face.

"Don't do anything that I wouldn't do." he smirked when he kissed her forehead gently.

"Yeah well that's the thing, Oliver… you're not doing anything!" she pouted.

He let out a small laugh and kissed her. "As much as I want to stay, but I really need to leave now. I still haven't packed and we'll head for the airport in less than 2 hours. I'll call you as soon as we landed." He buried his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling her shampoo, while Felicity gently stroked his back with her hand.

"I don't want you to leave" she whispered and Oliver could hear the trembling in her voice while she held him tight. He didn't want to leave her either, but re-scheduling the flight wasn't an option. And she had appointments to attend to anyway, that's why she came here in the first place. Reluctantly, he pulled away and got up off the bed.

"I'll call you as soon as I can, promised. And then you'll tell me how your doctor's appointment went!" he gently took her hand, gave it a last kiss and left the room.

Felicity couldn't move for 5 long minutes before she got off the bed and hopped into the bathroom. Her mind was spinning like crazy, and everything smelled of Oliver. She didn't want to shower and wash the last remnants of him away, but she had to get ready.  
It was almost 10am when she, dressed in Jeans Hot Pants and a tank top, grabbed her handbag and hopped to the door. When she stepped outside and started fishing around with her hand to locate the wheelchair, she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Need a ride downstairs, angel wings?"

"Oliver!" she squeaked, jumping into his arms, her handbag long forgotten on the ground. "I thought you left already!"

"I was going to head downstairs just now, but couldn't go to at least say goodbye again. And I figured you could need a ride down to the Lobby after you scared off your nurse this morning." he chuckled. "So… your carriage awaits, Milady."

When they arrived at the Lobby, Tommy and Laurel were already waiting for Oliver but Felicity's nurse was nowhere to be seen yet. When Laurel saw Oliver and Felicity leaving the elevator, she quickly made her way over to them

"Felicity, so nice to see you again before we leave!" Laurel smiled while Tommy strode over to them.

"Ollie. Felicity." Tommy just mumbled, a mischievous grin plastered on his face while cocking an eyebrow at Oliver.

"Guys I really don't want to be the party pooper right now, but there's a plane waiting for us" Tommy said and Oliver immediately pulled Felicity out of the wheelchair to hug her tightly.

"Remember what I told you this morning. We'll talk later." he said before he lowered his lips onto hers one last time. On instinct, Felicity wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around his neck. Neither of them cared that they were in a very public Hotel Lobby with a very surprised Laurel and Tommy staring at them.

Tommy tried to sound as apologetic as possible. "Ollie, we really need to leave – now!"

"Right," Oliver said, reluctantly ending the kiss and putting his forehead against hers.

"We'll see again, soon." he whispered before he unlocked her legs from behind her and put her back on the ground.  
Felicity's legs were wobbly and she had to fight back tears that started pricking in the corner of her eyes once again when she felt Oliver step away from her. Tommy and Laurel both said their goodbyes to Felicity again before they left the Lobby and all she could do was wait for her nurse to show up.

"I didn't expect that." Tommy said once they got seated in the Limo and made their way to the airport.

"You didn't expect what?" Oliver answered, confused.

"You fell for her hard, man. I haven't seen you like this since… I can't even remember!" Tommy shook his head in amazement and Oliver exhaled loudly, throwing his head back into the headrest.

"I hate to leave her here like that. Which is crazy because we barely even know each other but it still feels… being with her feels amazing, Tommy." Oliver said while both Tommy and Laurel listened carefully.

"Did you talk to her? About seeing each other again, I mean? Los Angeles isn't that far Ollie, you could definitely work something out… if not as a couple then as friends at least. I liked her." Laurel chimed in and Tommy just nodded in agreement.

"She agreed to let me visit her once she's back home, but we'll talk later once we're back in Starling City. That's all I can hold onto for now" he sighed.

They spent the rest of the drive to the airport in silence mostly and Oliver's mind constantly drifted off to Felicity and everything they experienced the last 3 days. Never would he have guessed to fall for her so hard and so quick when he first spotted her being carried to the Pool a few days ago. Now, after he got to know her a bit and spent almost 3 whole days with her, it felt like he knew her for months already, even if he barely knew her at all.

It amazed him from the first moment how normal she behaved when it came to him, especially after hearing the story about her ex-fiancée and the pretty bad break-up that she had gone through recently. That, paired with the partial blindness, would be a major reason for most people not to trust anyone so naturally so soon, especially not another man showing interest in her. Yet Felicity didn't show any form of fear or reluctance, maybe a slight hesitance at first. But who wouldn't? Especially after the way he approached her the first time.  
'Need help with that?' – "What a cliché" Oliver thought to himself and had to chuckle at that while shaking his head slightly.

Once they boarded their Jet, Laurel draped a blanket over her legs and put a sleep mask on while Tommy killed the time with checking Stock Updates and general Company Mail. Oliver just stared out of the window, seeing the beach of Marbella become smaller and smaller the higher they went. Once they passed the clouds, Oliver closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. The last night at the beach with Felicity and their night in her Hotel bed left him quite exhausted, even though he slept surprisingly well in with her in his arms.

When they arrived at the Marbella Clinic, Felicity couldn't focus on the appointment or her injuries. She missed Oliver, even if he just left. But knowing she'd have to spend the rest of the week without him, bored, like she spent the first few days, saddened her. She still couldn't wrap her head around everything that happened with him that weekend, everything that happened with her when she thought about him, but it felt good to her. She didn't plan to fall for someone during an 'appointment-vacation', definitely not in her current state and most definitely not that fast after her break up with Cooper, but there she was, head over heels for someone she met 3 days ago; someone she couldn't see but who smelled, felt and sounded amazing to her; someone who seemed to have great friends but a not so great Playboy past; someone could easily sweep her off her feet, both literally and figuratively speaking and for the first time since her accident happened and everything went black around her, she couldn't wait to finally see her surroundings again and see this man in the flesh. While Felicity occupied her mind with thoughts of the past 3 days, her nurse Nick walked up with a Doctor.

"Felicity? This is Dr. Gabriella De Almeida, she'll do your check-up." Nick said, when a female voice greeted her with a lovely Spanish accent.

"Felicity Smoak? Very nice to meet you, please call me Dr. Gabriella, I know many people have problems spelling my last name, so please don't bother yourself over it." She smiled and Felicity felt herself relax into the wheelchair at the calming and friendly tone of her Doctor.

"I'm going to explain you now what we'll do during the Check-Up and how we will proceed after it. If you have any questions during the process, feel free to ask them at any time. I will try to answer every question as good as I can." Dr. Gabriella assured her.

The Check-Up took just a few minutes and after Dr. Gabriella scanned Felicity's eyes and took a look at the Hospital papers that Nick handed her, they all took a seat at her desk.

"Okay Felicity, I reviewed your clinical record and also took a look at the scans that we just did. Your accident happened a little over 3 weeks ago and according to the results that our scan shows, the nerves behind your eyes are starting to rebuild themselves already. Now, we have 2 options to proceed. We could either try to stimulate the optic nerve which would speed up recovery time, but could also cause permanent damage to your eyesight, -"

Felicity lifted her hand and Dr. Gabriella immediately stopped talking. "I have a question!" she blurted out.  
"So you're saying you could improve my recovery by stimulating my optic nerve but that could make me blind in the process? How does that make even sense?"

"Not really, Miss Smoak. What I'm saying is that we can't guarantee the optic nerve would take some damage while we stimulate it. There's always a very small percentage that things like that could happen and I need to make sure you're aware of all the risks." Dr. Gabriella tried to explain in a calm tone.

"What's the other option?"

"The other option would be to leave the healing process as it is right now. It seems your body recovers on its own just fine. With the speed that your nerves have rebuild and strengthened themselves in the last weeks, I'm pretty sure you'll get 100% of your eyesight back, like your Doctor's already told you. It would just take longer than the other option; stimulating the nerve would speed up the process a lot."

" – but not without a risk" Felicity interrupted her once again.

"Like I said, - " Dr. Gabriella started once again.

"When do I have to make a decision?" she asked brusquely and cut her off yet again. Felicity didn't expect a lot from these appointments, but flying all the way to Europe to being told they could try and heal her by risking of permanently blinding her was ridiculous to her.

"As soon as possible. If you decide to start with the laser treatments to your optic nerve, we need to plan ahead. Do you still need some time to think about it?"

"I need to make a call, could you give me a few minutes, please?" Felicity shortly replied.

"Of course. I'll wait outside." Dr. Gabriella said and got up from her chair and out of the room with Nick following right behind her. As soon as she heard the door click shut, Felicity pulled out her phone and called her the first person that came to her mind.

"Hey honey, how are you doing? I miss you! Everything alright?" Donna asked and Felicity was happy to finally hear a familiar voice again.

"Hey Mom, I'm sitting at the Marbella Clinic right now," Felicity told her. "They just checked out my eyes and told me what they could do for me."

"And? What did they say? Can they help you?" Donna blurted out, sounding more excited about everything than Felicity could be.

"Yes and no. They basically told me they could stimulate my nerve with a laser to make it heal faster -"

"Oh honey, that's awesome! When will you start? How many treatments do you need? Did they tell you when you can see again?" Donna interrupted her with a load of excitement and questions.

"That's not everything, mom. They also told me that the laser could permanently blind me in the process – which is why I decided to call you to let you know I'll be heading back early because I won't be doing it. Could you ask Caitlin to re-schedule my flight, please? I know you're not that tech savvy and Caitlin has all my flight details and I don't want to bother Nick with that, he isn't of any help at all anyways, so…"

"Felicity, are you sure? I mean, they always tell that accidents could happen during surgeries, I'm sure they are forced to say that so you can't sue them if something actually happens but I'm sure that – "

"Mom, I made my decision and honestly, I just want to get out of here. As amazing as this country could be, I came here for help and clearly this Clinic can't offer any besides handing me a _'Get well soon.'_ – balloon. Which is why I would like to have a flight back to LA as soon as possible." Felicity replied with a stern voice that didn't leave any room for argumentation.

Donna sighed. "Fine, if this is what you want, I'll call Caitlin and let her know to call you. Can't wait to have you back home soon. Love you, bye!" Donna said before hanging up.

Seconds after Felicity ended the call with her mom, Dr. Gabriella and Nick entered the office again. After everyone took a seat, Felicity spoke up.  
"Dr. Gabriella, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to check my eyes and getting into my clinical record. However I must refuse your offer. I will not risk getting permanently blinded just for a quickened cure of my nerve. I already talked to my mother and will be flying back to Los Angeles as soon as my flight could be re-scheduled, so I won't be needing any other appointments. But I'd like to thank you anyway for taking your time and considering me as a patient." Felicity politely explained and sent Dr. Gabriella a slight smile before grabbing her handbag, placing it in her lap, ready to loosen the brakes on her wheelchair and turn for the door.  
"Alright, Miss Smoak, I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery nonetheless." Dr. Gabriella friendly replied before Nick got up and rolled Felicity out of the office.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Nick asked her while he rolled Felicity out of the building to their waiting car.

"Oh I don't know, Nick. Would you like to have your eyesight ripped away from you permanently?" Felicity snapped at him. The whole situation annoyed her. Nick annoyed her. And even if she didn't expect wonders when she came here, she at least expected bigger chances than what she had been told just a few minutes ago. Right now she just wanted to get back to her Hotel room, she wanted to talk to Oliver, and she wanted to fly back home, to surroundings that she knew and voices that she loved.  
Nick just shook his head but didn't say anything else. Felicity got into the car silently, rummaging through her handbag, trying to locate her phone. When she found it, she immediately tried to call Oliver, but her calls went straight to his mailbox. "He must be on the plane still" she thought to herself while Nick drove her back to the Hotel in silence.

When suddenly her phone started ringing, Felicity got startled for a moment before answering the call.

"Fee! Your mother just called me! You won't let the doctors help you?" a very stressed female voice spoke up.

"Hey Caitlin, nice to hear your voice and no, that's not what happened and that's not what I told my Mom." Felicity answered, her voice full of annoyance over her mother's comment to her friend. "They just told me it's either do nothing and leave it as it is, or try lasering my nerve to make it heal faster with the risk of blinding me in the process. So I chose option No.1. Which is why I need you to re-book my flight to an earlier one, as soon as possible, please. I just want to come home."  
Felicity sighed and Caitlin could clearly hear the stress and exhaustion showing in her voice.

"Is everything okay, Fee? You sound terrible and I doubt it's just the news that you've just been told. I know for a fact that you didn't expect much of it anyway, so… anything wrong?"

Felicity sighed loudly. There was so much she had going on in her head right now, but did she want to tell Caitlin about it while sitting in a car with her nurse. Yeah, nope.  
"Everything's fine, Cait, I'm just exhausted. Guess I don't sleep too well in that Hotel bed. Could you check on that flight and let me know as soon as possible, please?"

"I'm on it already. I'll give you a call to let you know. Can't wait to pick you up from the airport. There's so much I have to tell you!" Caitlin giggled and Felicity actually enjoyed hearing her best friend so happy. "We'll have a lot to talk about over a big box of mint chip ice cream as soon as you're back! Take care, call you later!"  
And with that, Caitlin ended the call.

Felicity tried calling Oliver a second time, but the call went straight to the Mailbox once again. She debated about leaving him a message there so he would hear it as soon as he landed, but decided against it. Talking directly sounded way more appealing.

When they arrived back at the Hotel, Nick rolled her straight to the Restaurant and placed her at a table, taking a seat next to her. Just when Felicity wanted to start protesting she'd rather spend the day on her Hotel Room, Nick cut her off.  
"I know you might not like me much and honestly, I don't care if you do, but I'll at least make sure you're eating properly. And I know for a fact you haven't had breakfast today and it's almost noon, so we'll have lunch now. Besides, I'm hungry as well." Nick announced and ordered them both a glass of water and two sandwiches when the waiter arrived.

They ate in complete silence, Felicity wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at all and she could hear Nick fidgeting with his phone, so she didn't have to wonder if he was bored too much. Not that she cared anyway.

When he brought her to her Hotel room, she fell onto the bed and passed out almost immediately. The day had been exhausting even though she didn't do much at all.

Oliver was still sound asleep when Tommy started throwing cherries at him to wake him up. When a cherry hit him on the lip, Oliver awoke with a start.

"What the – " he muttered, when he saw Tommy in the seat opposite to him, laughing like a little boy, with a big bowl of cherries in his lap. That's when he spotted all the cherries that covered his body. Just before Oliver could throw a fit, Tommy raised a finger and interrupted him with a grin.  
"We'll be arriving in 30 minutes."

Oliver got out of his seat, grabbed his phone and headed straight to the restroom.

"Where are you going, buddy?"

"Washing all the cherry stains off my face, you idiot!" he yelled at him, while walking through the plane.

When he arrived at the restroom, he put the phone down and exhaled loudly. For the first time he got a good look in the mirror since they left Marbella this morning. His face was still sleep ridden and covered in red stains, but what really caught his eye was what appeared to be a small hickey in the crook of his neck. He took a closer look and – yep, definitely a hickey.

"That woman!" he mumbled to himself, while shaking his head with a grin. At the thought of Felicity, he picked up the phone and tried to call her. He missed her voice already, even if it was just a few hours since her left her. When he tried to make a call, he couldn't get access to a phone network.

"Well, it's just another 30 minutes until I can call her, that's not too much" he thought to himself before putting the phone down next to the sink. He washed his hands and face and took his time changing into a new shirt before exiting the restroom to take a seat again. The crew would be landing soon and they would be asked to fasten their seatbelts, so Oliver made his way to his seat quickly. Laurel had been woken up by Tommy, too, though he obviously chose to wake her more gently then he did with Oliver.  
Laurel already made plans for the evening with Tommy when Oliver could see the skyline of Starling City beneath the clouds.

Once the plane hit ground, the crew quickly unloaded their luggage and Tommy, Laurel and Oliver took a seat in the Limo that awaited them.

"Would you want to join us tonight, Ollie? We'll go to that new Italian Restaurant downtown. We could also ask Moira and Thea!" Laurel spoke up and Oliver stopped her immediately. "Oh hell no! Thanks for the offer, but it stresses me enough knowing I have to have lunch with them in an hour." Oliver announced and Laurel just rolled her eyes. "Fine, then it's just the two of us," she petted Tommy on the cheek, before giving him a quick kiss.

When the Limo arrived at Oliver's Loft, he hugged both Laurel and Tommy before he followed the servant carrying his luggage upstairs. He dreaded that lunch date with his mother and sister, but he promised them, so he wanted to get over with it as quickly as possible. As soon as he arrived at his floor, he waited for his luggage to arrive, quickly grabbed his car keys and headed to the Queen Mansion.

As soon as he pulled up the driveway and got out of the car, Moira opened the main entrance and waited for him at the door.

"Oliver, dear! Good to have you back! Come in!" she waved him inside with Thea waiting in the living room, watching some News.  
"Look who's back!" Thea yelled, her mood a lot lighter than it had been just a few days before in Marbella. "Did Tommy and Laurel annoy you with their wedding stuff? I bet it was boring there without me!" Thea grinned, getting up from the couch to follow her mother into the dining room.

"I hope you're hungry, Oliver? Your father couldn't join us tonight, but I asked Raisa to cook us something nonetheless." Moira announced and Oliver was happy that the conversation went so easily. He wasn't in the mood to talk much anyway, the jetlag hitting him hard and thoughts of Felicity occupying his mind, but with light topics and no fights from his sister, he could do for the day.

When Thea excused herself from the table after the 10th text message on her phone, Oliver also said his goodbyes for the day and went back to his Loft to have a good amount of sleep, but not before calling Felicity and talk to her for a while. He was curious how her appointment went and if the Doctors would be able to help her. And he missed her voice. A lot, actually.

As soon as he pulled up in the parking garage, he quickly made his way to the elevator. That's when he reached for the inside pocket of his jacket once he arrived at the door to his Loft and realized that his phone wasn't there. Confused for a moment, he started searching all pockets of his Jeans and Jacket and even went downstairs to his car to check again on it when it became clear to him...  
He forgot his phone in the Restroom of the Merlyn jet! And Felicity was probably be trying to reach him!

Oliver immediately entered his Loft and called Tommy from his office phone.

"Tommy, where's the jet?" Oliver blurted out as soon as his friend took the call.

"Relax, buddy. Do you want to fly back to Felicity or what?" Tommy joked but Oliver was having none of it.

"Tommy seriously, where is the jet? I left my phone on it and I'm sure Felicity is trying to call me for hours already!"

"I'm sorry buddy, but as far as I know the Crew is already on its way to New York with some of our employees. I doubt you'll get your phone back before they return tomorrow. Sorry buddy. But I'm sure Felicity is fine. You'll hear from her soon enough." Tommy tried to calm him down but Oliver just sank into his desk chair, full of frustration.

"Yeah well, please tell Laurel I'm sorry I interrupted your Dinner. Talk to you tomorrow!" Oliver quickly hang up and left the office, heading straight for the bar. He needed a drink now. With no chance to talk to Felicity and the thought of having broken the promise to call her immediately, he was sure he wouldn't get much rest tonight if he didn't have a drink.

After he downed 4 Whiskey in record time, exhaustion took over him and he barely made it into bed before he passed out.

When Felicity woke up, she immediately tried to grab her phone. She didn't know how long she slept, but she was still in her clothes, so she at least didn't wake up in at some point to undress.

When her phone told her it was 1.18am she startled up. Checking her phone again she realized she didn't have any missed calls, which surprised her. Oliver promised to call her as soon as he arrived in Starling and he must have been home for at least a few hours now. "Well maybe he was as tired as I was and just fell asleep" she thought to herself and decided to call him.

When her call went straight to the Mailbox again, she got confused. After giving it two more tries, both going straight to the Mailbox as well, she decided to leave him a short Voicemail to call her back as soon as he get the chance. She didn't tell him she missed him, just kept it as short as possible in hopes to hear from him soon before she undressed and got under her sheets. Sheets that still smelled a lot like Oliver. She rolled over to his pillow and inhaled deeply before curling it under her face, keeping it as close to her nose as possible.

With the scent of Oliver on her pillow, she drifted off to sleep again.  
Tomorrow he would call her, of that she was sure.


	7. Plane vs Queen

Oliver awoke to the noise of his phone ringing in his office. He tried to ignore it, but the ringing wouldn't stop and the sound gave him a headache, so he got out of bed. Who would call him that early in the morning wondered him just as much as it annoyed him. When he answered the call it was the squeaky voice of his little sister that greeted him on the other end of the line.

"Good morning big brother, just calling you to let you know that Mom is expecting you at the Mansion in two hours. She wants to have breakfast with us and she especially asked for you to join us, so… see you later!" she grinned and hung up.

Oliver just shook his head, threw the phone back on the desk and went for the bathroom. He needed a cold shower to clear his mind and an aspirine to get rid of the ringing in his head before he could face anyone at a breakfast table. While relaxing under the warm streams of water, he thought about the last day. Nothing went as planned. He promised Felicity to call her as soon as he arrived in Starling again and he manages to forget his phone on that damn jet! She was probably thinking he played her around and wasn't interested in her any more, maybe she even tried to call him or leave messages to call her back. Now it has been almost 24 hours since he left Marbella and so far she hasn't heard a word from him. That's not how he wanted to start things with Felicity, especially not after such an amazing weekend with her.

As soon as he got out of the shower, he sent Tommy a quick text and made himself ready for breakfast with his mother.

Oliver arrived at the Queen Mansion just in time. Raisa was already preparing the table while Moira and Thea strolled through the kitchen. Oliver hugged his Mother and gave Thea a slap on the back of her head while passing her.

"Owww, idiot!" she hissed, while rubbing her head. "What was that for?"

"For calling me in the middle of the night!" he waved a finger in her direction, daring her to call him again that early in the morning. Thea just gave him an evil grin and sticked out her tongue at him.

During breakfast Moira kept to lighter topics and Oliver informed them that the Archers were discussing a contract with a possible new Sponsor right now, so he would have the chance to play again, soon.

"There is a reason why I asked you to join us for breakfast this morning, Oliver. Robert will be out of town for several more days and there will be a Charity Gala at the Grand Hyatt tomorrow evening and I'd like you to join me. Both of you." Moira added while looking at Thea.

"I can't. I'll be flying back to Marbella this evening." Oliver announced.

Felicity picked up her phone and asked it to call her nurse Nick. He picked up immediately which actually surprised Felicity.  
"Nick? Hey, could you come over to my room and help me pack, please? We'll fly back home tomorrow… I hope. Just need to hear from Caitlin about it."

It was already noon in Marbella when Felicity called Caitlin. She thought about calling earlier, but with the time difference, she knew it would be still night in Los Angeles, even though the day had already started in Spain. So when she called Caitlin's number, a very sleepy voice answered the phone.

"Felicity, it's 5 in the morning. Seriously?"

Felicity just giggled into the phone. She was happy to hear Caitlin's voice, even if her tone was a bit harsh and sleep-ridden. But after a boring morning in her Hotel Room, she was happy to finally talk to a familiar voice again and push away her thoughts about Oliver for a moment.

"Were you able to re-schedule my flight yet? I can't wait to get out of here." she pouted and Caitlin was quick to help her out.

"Yup, already booked you an earlier flight. You'll be flying home on Thursday afternoon, Spanish time. It was the only flight I could get you without more than one Stop, but at least you won't have to stay there until Sunday, so… I'll text you all the flight details, please make sure your nurse gets them correctly. I'll pick you up from the airport then." she yawned and Felicity had to hold back a laugh.

"Thank you Cait, I really appreciate that. Everything, actually" Felicity said, letting her head sink back into the pillow while she spoke.

"How are you feeling? Do you still think you made the right choice?"

"Absolutely. I'm not going to risk my health just to have the chance to get my eyesight back 2 or 3 months earlier."

"That sounds like there's 'BUT' coming..." Caitlin added.

"Not really," Felicity sighed. "but the last 3 days? I would have given anything to be able to see again. Even if only for an hour." Felicity's tone made Caitlin curious and Felicity could hear that Caitlin was wide awake by now.  
"Felicity Smoak! What happened? I know something happened, I know that tone all too well… Spill it!"

Felicity exhaled loudly. It was true. Her friend knew her all too well. But could she tell Caitlin everything that happened with Oliver the last weekend? She barely understood it herself, how should she explain it to her best friend then? Before she could over think the situation, Felicity decided to tell her friend. At least she had someone to talk to about it now.

"I met someone. And I can't even explain what happened in the last 3 days, but he's gone now, and I miss him. And I know that sounds super cheesy and you probably think I'm behaving like a poor vacationer falling for one of the Hotel Animation team dudes but that's really not the case, Cait… and before he left he promised to call me but now I can't reach him anymore and he never called either. And in two days I'll head home with nothing than a name and a memory of the last weekend. And I hate it already. And I hate that I hate it because he's practically a stranger to me, yet it feels like I know him for a long time already. Does that even make sense?"

Felicity spoke so fast, Caitlin wasn't sure she understood all of it.  
"Oh boy, I need to bring you home faster than I planned to, it seems. That screams for a girls night with loads of mint chip ice cream and surely NO boys around!" Caitlin laughed.

They talked about the last 3 days that Felicity spent with Oliver and with every question that Caitlin asked, the information just spilled out of Felicity. She was never one to talk much about her relationships; Caitlin knew about Cooper, she was there when Felicity met him for the first time and she was also there when they broke up and Felicity crashed on her couch for a week. But talking about personal relationship stuff? So not Felicity's thing. Which is why it surprised Caitlin even more to hear all these things from her – even though she warned Felicity to not hook up with someone you met at during a vacation.

They talked for a good 30 minutes before Caitlin had to get ready for work.

"You're flying back to Marbella? But you just got back here a day ago!" a very surprised Thea shot at him after hearing Oliver's announcement. "It's because of that blonde girl, right?"

Oliver gritted his teeth. This wasn't how he planned the conversation, but he should have known. His sister wasn't stupid and she had seen Felicity and him. He just dreaded to answer any questions like that over the breakfast table.  
"Thea, I don't think –"

"Does she know about Isabel?" Thea interrupted him, the friendliness on her face long forgotten.

"Thea!" Oliver warned her through gritted teeth.

"Oh don't 'Thea' me, Ollie! I heard Tommy talking to Laurel about you and her at the Club yesterday. Felicity, right? Well, if Laurel likes her, then she really must be something! And no one deserves to be played around, Ollie." Thea spat at him over the table, ignoring the confused stares of her mother.

"I'm not 'playing her around'. What makes you even think I do? And since when are you so protective of people you don't even know?" Oliver yelled back with an irritated tone. Here he was yet again, fighting with his 18 year-old sister over his relationships.

Thea didn't back away though. "For one, your reputation, big brother. And past experiences. And if you're going to break this poor girls heart, do it quick please. Before she finds out herself." she warned him, before stuffing a piece of Croissant into her mouth, never breaking eye contact with him.

"Why the fuck is everyone thinking I'm going to break Felicity's heart?" he yelled over the table, his anger quickly spiking up at Thea's accusations.

"Oliver, watch your tone, please!" Moira quickly spoke up but Oliver cut her off.

"No, mom! I am not! Everyone keeps telling me I'm going to fuck this up and I'm so done hearing this! Especially from you, Thea! You have no idea what you're talking about and maybe you should get your own shit together in the first place before dealing with mine! My relationships are none of your fucking business so shut it, once and for all!"

Oliver had gotten up from his chair while he yelled at Thea. Moira tried to calm him down while Thea sat on the other side of the table with a blank face, taking in what Oliver yelled at her.

After he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, he turned to his mother.  
"I'm sorry I can't join you at the Gala tomorrow. Have a nice evening though." he tried to sound as apologetic as possible, putting his napkin back on the table and leaving the dining room.

Within seconds it became dead silent in the mansion before Moira could hear the front door click shut.

She turned her attention to Thea who already busied herself with her phone.  
"Was that really necessary, Thea?" Moira asked calmly.

"Yes, it was, Mom. I'm not going to keep my mouth shut every time Ollie does some bullshit. He fooled around with enough of my friends in the past and if this is my way of revenge, I'll gladly take it!" Thea bluntly replied before moving her attention to her phone again.

"I'm sorry but I need to leave as well, Mom. Jenny will be here in an hour, I still need to find a dress for that Gala tomorrow." She smiled at her mother before getting up from the table, leaving Moira alone in the dining room.

Oliver let his mind drift off while steering his white Porsche through the streets of Starling City.  
Why did everyone expect him to ruin all of his relationships? Not only Thea, but Tommy as well reminded him not to mess it up with Felicity and Oliver was just tired of hearing it. His Playboy past seemed to still haunt him, even after getting into a serious relationship with Isabel and taking a step back from the partying and sleeping around. And even though the tabloids stopped reporting about all his misbehavings, apparently his friends and family constantly made sure to remind him what a fucked-up person he was.

With all the stress and tension that early in the morning he just realized how much he missed waking up next to Felicity, far away from all the trouble and stress of his everyday life. He missed her and he couldn't wait to see her again. His luggage was still unpacked, but he would need fresh clothes and have a quick shower before he'd head to the airport, which is why he sped up his car and steered it to his Apartment building in record time.

He was still deep in thoughts about Felicity when he pulled up in the parking garage and was about to make his way to the main entrance when a female voice stopped him.  
"Oliver. Good to finally see you. You never called after you came back." Isabel smiled at him and Oliver wasn't sure if he should ignore her or punch her in the face for grinning at him like that. He had to bite back a sigh and tried to stay as calm as possible. She was the very last person he wanted to see right now. So he went with option 3, keeping the conversation as short as possible and getting rid of her as quickly as he could.

"Isabel. I just returned last night and had to catch up on sleep. What are you doing here?"

Isabel gave him an irritated look.  
"What I am doing here, Oliver, is trying to talk to you. Apparently you are ignoring my calls and we still have things to discuss – "

"Not here, not now. I have somewhere else to be right now. Send me a text and we can set up an appointment." he cut her off and was already making his way to the stairs when Isabel quickly followed him and roughly grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Don't you dare leave me here like that! You have been ignoring me long enough, Oliver! How much longer do you think you can play this game with me?" she yelled at him in front of his Apartment building, not caring for by-passers who gave them a confused look.

"ME playing a game with you? You've got to be kidding me, Isabel! Just remember everything that happened and then think about if you are the one who should ask that question again!" he spat at her, his finger just inches away from her face.

"You know you can't ignore me any longer, Oliver! How much longer do you think I can keep it secret?" she yelled at him and Oliver had to take a step back and put some distance between them before he could speak again.

"This is NOT the time to bring up that topic and like I told you, we can discuss how we'll handle the situation as soon as I have time for it. Which clearly is not right now." Oliver tried to remain calm, even though Isabel yelling at him in front of his building just added to the pile of anger that his little sister just build up in him this morning.

"This 'situation' as you like to call it, has been ignored by for way too long already, Oliver! Maybe you should finally grow up, behave like the man you pretend to be and handle the situation properly!" Isabel told him in an annoyed tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest, never breaking eye contact with him.

Oliver just shook his head in disbelief. This woman seriously had the guts to call him a pretender and immature person!  
"Why am I even talking to you? This is ridiculous…" he laughed while shaking his head and freeing his wrist from her grip, ending the conversation his way before stepping up to the main entrance to greet Miguel, the bellman. Isabel still stood outside the building, her mouth hanging open, fire in her eyes.

"Miguel, could you please make sure that this woman," he said, pointing in Isabel's direction with his thumb "won't get onto my floor by any means? I don't want to see her upstairs, even if she insists to be let up there." He kindly asked and Miguel just smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Mister Queen."

"Thank you." He replied with a smile and knocked on the counter twice before he made his way to the elevator. He could just hope Isabel would be gone by the time he made his way to the airport.

It took Oliver just 30 minutes to shower before he quickly unpacked and re-packed his luggage. He knew Felicity was staying for just a few more days, so he wouldn't need to pack as much as he did for his last trip to Marbella. Just when he finished packing and pulled the luggage to his front door, the doorbell rang.  
When Oliver opened the door, Tommy greeted him with a smug look.

"So you're really doing this?" Tommy grinned through his sunglasses.

"Hello to you, too, Tommy." Oliver replied while grabbing his luggage and leaving his Loft.

Tommy just shook his head with a laugh, following him to the elevator. "I wasn't wrong then…" he mumbled to himself while they waited for the elevator doors to open.

"With what?"

"You've fallen for her hard, man." Tommy answered while pointing down to Oliver's luggage.

"I need to do that, Tommy. If I don't go back now, I may never have the chance again." Oliver replied before the doors opened and they entered the elevator.

"Oh I'm not complaining, buddy. I actually think this is the best idea you've had in a long time." Tommy honestly replied and Oliver raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"What about the whole 'don't break her heart, it won't work anyway' – speech that you gave me some days ago?"

"I saw the way you acted around her, and it seems I was wrong. Maybe it could really work out," Tommy shrugged his shoulders at him. "I would have done the same if I was in your position. Just… don't mess this up, Ollie."  
Oliver exhaled deeply and rolled his eyes at the statement, but Tommy was quick to cut him off before he could say anything." And you know how I mean it. All I'm saying is, if you're boarding that plane and go back there, make sure you really mean it. Felicity didn't seem like the type of girl who would be into casual dating or something."

When they arrived at the Lobby, Oliver quickly glanced around before stepping out of the elevator. Tommy was already out and looked at Oliver with a very confused face.  
"Already having doubts or what?"

When Miguel saw Oliver suspiciously looking around the Lobby area, he got up from his chair and waved him a thumbs up, signaling him it was clear to step out into the Lobby.

"The woman left after you went upstairs, Mister Queen. She hasn't been back since."

"Woman?" Tommy asked with a curious tone, cocking an eyebrow at Oliver.

"Isabel," Oliver replied with a sigh. "And I absolutely DON'T want to talk about it."  
Tommy just rolled his eyes at that but Oliver's firm tone made it clear that he really didn't want to talk about it right now, so Tommy decided to drop the topic for the moment.

"Thank you Miguel. I'll be away for a few more days. Could you get my mail upstairs, please?"

"Of course, Mister Queen. Have a safe trip." Miguel nodded at him before he got back to work on his Computer.

Tommy and Oliver entered the waiting Limo and made their way to the airport.  
When Tommy kept staring at Oliver with a smirk on his face, Oliver eyed him annoyingly.

"I know you want to say something, so say it."

Tommy just huffed a laugh. "So what's your plan once you arrive there? Head to the Hotel and then what? Spend some more days with her and then take her back home to Starling in hopes she might stay?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. For now I just want to see her again and explain to her why I never called her after I got back."

"And it never came to your mind to just call the Hotel and ask to be put through to her room? It's not that hard, actually. I'm sure even you can manage that, buddy." Tommy grinned.

"Ha ha, guess what I did twice? But either the spanish Receptionist didn't understand what I wanted from him, or Felicity was never in her room when I called. I even asked them to leave her a note with my office number so she would have the chance to reach me, but how should I know if she received it? And even if she did, it's not that she can read that note… so her wacky nurse would have to help her, and I'm not so sure if he would do that." Oliver explained, frustration clearly audible in his voice.

"Quite the dilemma you're having, I'd say." Tommy grinned before putting his sunglasses into his jacket. "Oh, before I forget… I got something for you."

Tommy started fishing through his jacket before he pulled something out of his breast pocket and handed it to Oliver.  
"My phone!" Oliver screamed before grabbing the phone out of Tommy's hands.

"God, you're such a girl." he joked when Oliver quickly grabbed the phone and immediately started turning it on. "The plane staff gave it to me this morning. The battery is dead but I figured you wouldn't want to leave without it." Tommy smiled proudly.

Oliver immediately started rummaging through his luggage when he realized he didn't pack his phone charger. "You don't happen to have a spare charger, do you?"

"Nope, buddy. Can't help with that. But chill out, just a few more hours and you'll be with her again." Tommy patted his shoulder when the Limo arrived at the Airport Departure Area.

They exited the car together, Oliver grabbed his luggage, gave Tommy a quick hug and pat on the shoulder and thanked him for the ride and the help.  
"Anytime, buddy. Call me if you need to be picked up." Tommy called before getting back into the Limo.

After waiting one long hour at the Gate, he finally was able to board the plane. He was facing a 16 hour flight now with 2 Stops in New York and Frankfurt and had no idea how to kill time besides sleeping and watching one of the boring plane movies, but at least he was on his way back to her. Just 16 more hours and he could finally hug and kiss her again. After his Stop-Over in NYC he boarded the Business Class on the plane to Europe. It was already late in the afternoon when the plane left the runway and Oliver was quick to order a Whiskey and a blanket to make himself comfortable on the 9-hour flight. With the time difference between the USA and Europe he was sure jetlag would kick him in the ass if he didn't get a decent amount of sleep on the plane. After downing his Whiskey and snuggling into his blanket, he drifted off into a deep sleep, nothing but Felicity on his mind.

After Felicity ended the call with Caitlin she contemplated about what she should do. Calling Oliver for the 15th time wouldn't change anything and she was sick and tired of hearing nothing but his Mailbox all the time. Maybe Caitlin was right? Maybe he changed his mind about her? The thought made her sad. Could she really be that blind, literally speaking? Why did she even allow him into her heart that fast? Didn't she learn from the past, especially after what Cooper did just a few weeks ago?

The more she thought about the possibility of Oliver having fooled with her the entire weekend, the angrier she became.  
"Oh god, I'm so stupid," she told herself loudly, "I am so STUPID!"

Anger spiked up in her even more. She recalled everything that happened and tried to get her head straight over everything.  
Of course he picked her to fool around with. Obviously she was the weakest and easiest victim he could find. And it's not that she could yell at him later for what he did, if she ever met him on the street because well… she never officially met him. With one last effort, she tried calling Oliver once more. This time not to tell him she missed him, she was ready to tell him to go and have sex with himself and to never call her again.  
Oh god, the sex!  
"I am SO glad I never slept with that douchebag." she yelled into her pillow before throwing it through her room with a loud growl. She was furious, furious about Oliver and the way he lied to her and played her, but mostly she was furious at herself for even allowing him to play her around. Normally she called people out on their shit the minute they approached her and it's not that she showed any interest in these Playboy dudes anyway.

The only thing she couldn't wrap her brain around was the way Tommy and Laurel behaved around her. If Oliver just fooled around with her, why were his friends so nice to her? She could hardly imagine them playing her around as well because – what for?

All that thinking without clear answers gave her a major headache and she couldn't wait to get out of the Hotel and the Country back into Caitlin's Apartment, back to her familiar surroundings and familiar voices, far away from any Playboy idiots trying to hook her up just for fun.

She exhaled loudly and called Nick, hoping he would pick up the phone as quick as he did this morning. Obviously he was her only chance now to leave her Hotel room and help her get to the Pool.  
If she had to spend another day in here, she would at least make sure to get a decent tan before heading back home. When Nick picked up the phone after the 3rd ring and agreed to bring her down to the Pool, she quickly changed into her bikini and waited for him to arrive with the wheelchair. At least she could enjoy some more sunbathing today and get to bed early.

"Only one more day to kill tomorrow and I can leave this god damn Hotel and every shitty memory behind," she muttered to herself.

When Nick strolled over with the wheelchair and she took a seat, he rolled her to the elevator in silence. Before the doors closed, Felicity turned her attention to Nick.

"Would you like to have Dinner with me tomorrow evening? I figured with our last day here tomorrow, I could at least say thank you for the help," she offered, even though it was the biggest lie she has told in a long time. But if she wouldn't have to eat alone and could keep her mind away from the anger about her own stupidity and the whole Oliver-fiasco with some casual conversation, that little lie didn't hurt too much.

"Sure, why not?" Nick shrugged, "It's not that Spanish TV is very satisfying anyway, so… yeah, Dinner would be cool."

" 'Cool'… Now that's a way to hide your excitement" Felicity thought to herself.  
But at least she had some company for the next evening, so she didn't complain.


	8. in time

**This Story is rated -M- for a reason, just saying. ;)**

Felicity waited for Nick to arrive at her Room so she could head downstairs with him for Dinner. It was weird for her, but at least she wouldn't have to spend the evening alone after two pretty boring days at the Pool.  
When Nick arrived at her door, they quickly made their way downstairs. They arrived at the Lobby and headed towards the Restaurant when Nick realized he forgot his phone in his room. He excused himself and quickly made his way upstairs again. Felicity could just wait in the Lobby when she heard a familiar name.

"Hola Senor Queen, welcome back! I made sure to book you the same room again." the Receptionist smiled and handed Oliver the key card to his room. "If you need anything please let me know."

"Oliver?" a surprised female voice spoke up behind him and Oliver's head shot around. He didn't expect to see her downstairs. He actually planned to surprise her in her Room, maybe with a basket of food for a romantic Picnic on the balcony. Now she surprised him by sitting in her wheelchair, alone, in the Hotel Lobby.

"Oliver?" Felicity spoke again, sounding more uncertain than the first time.

"Felicity, hey!" Oliver quickly walked over to the wheelchair, kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her hand that rested silently in her lap. Felicity didn't move, though. She sat there, stock still, not knowing what was happening around her. Was Oliver really there? And if so, how could he be? And why?

"Oliver, what are you doing here?" was all she could ask, not daring to move a muscle, still not believing he was really there.

She could feel him gently stroke her hand with his thumbs when he started to speak. "I took a flight back here. I needed to see you again."

Felicity was confused. When Oliver left she was sure they would speak again soon and after more than 24 hours of trying to reach him, doubts started to cloud her mind. So much that with waking up this morning, she was sure Oliver was never going to call her or meet her again. She was sure he just wanted to have his way with her, even if only for a weekend. She promised herself that, especially after this weekend, she definitely wouldn't trust any man so soon again, no matter how nice or gentle he might be. And now Oliver stood in front of her and she didn't know what to do any more. And it confused her. So much that she didn't say a word or moved a muscle. All she could do was sit there and listen to Oliver talk.

"Have you eaten yet? I just arrived here from a 16 hour flight and sure could need a Steak. Would you have Dinner with me? I need to explain so much, -"  
"Actually," Felicity interrupted him, finally finding her voice again, pulling her hand out of his before dropping it into her lap, earning a very confused look from Oliver. "I'll have Dinner with Nick in a few minutes. But, uhm..." Felicity shifted in her wheelchair uncomfortably, "we could talk... later, maybe? If you want?"

Olivers face fell into a confused frown. Why was she so reluctant? Wasn't she happy to see him? He certainly missed her and when they left Marbella, it certainly seemed like she would miss him, too. But now she didn't even want to be touched by him.  
He planned to kiss her when surprising her. He missed the feel of her lips, the way she smiled into him, every time he leaned in to kiss her. But kissing her now felt just wrong, even though he really wanted to. But Oliver was almost certain that she would have smacked him with her purse if he'd tried right now.  
Confused, he got up on his feet again and took a step back. He still had so many questions about her doctor's appointments and he wanted to explain so much what went wrong the last 2 days, but right now he was at a loss for words.  
When Nick appeared again, his phone in hand, slightly nodding at Oliver while he grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, Oliver quickly spoke up.

"I would love to talk. Can I see you at your room in an hour?"  
He almost sounded... uncertain? This was so unlike him, and uncertainty was definitely the last feeling he thought about when it came to Felicity and flying back to her.

"Yeah, that sounds good." she gave him a small smile before Nick spun her around and quietly rolled her to the Restaurant.

Oliver went straight for his room. He was exhausted, tired, in need of a shower and most of all, Oliver was confused. Sure, he wasn't a man who made big plans when it came to Surprises or Dates, but with Felicity he had the whole thing planned out.  
He wanted to arrive at the Hotel, quickly check in, get onto his Room, shower and change and then arrange Dinner for them, just the same Dinner he arranged the first night they went out.  
This now, though? So not like he would have wanted it to happen. Felicity basically sneaking up on him in the Lobby was a stupid coincidence that Oliver had no power over, but her reaction to hearing him? He couldn't get his head over it.  
Did something happen at the Doctor's appointment? Or was she having regrets about him? Maybe she was. Maybe she was even happy when Oliver left. Maybe she would have never returned his calls anyway.  
His calls!

Quickly he grabbed his luggage, threw it open and started rummaging through it, looking for the life-saving white charger cable. When he found it, Oliver quickly plugged it into the nightstand and connected his phone. It took him a good 2 minutes and excessive pacing around his hotel room until the phone's screen finally lid up.

When he unlocked it, a load of notifications about text messages, eMails and missed calls appeared on the screen. He ignored most of them, only looking for calls or messages from that one name.

When he checked his callers list, he sank back onto the bed.  
2 missed calls from Tommy, 2 from Isabel, 5 from Thea, several calls from Team members of the Archers and 27 missed calls from Felicity... the last one from yesterday morning until the calls suddenly stopped.

When Oliver scrolled through the timeline, he could see that she tried calling him every few hours, even through the night, and he found himself wondering if Felicity slept the last nights properly, at all.  
Just a few hours after he left on Monday she tried calling him for the first time, which he found super sweet, actually. She must have known he was still on the plane but apparently she needed to give it a try anyway. Maybe she just wanted to tell him how her appointment went, something he was still very eager to know.

The breaks between trying to call him became longer and longer and Oliver himself could feel how frustrated Felicity must have become when she couldn't get ahold of him, even after so many hours she knew he was back in Starling City already. The calls went on until the morning of Tuesday - with the last one made around 11.30am. After that, she didn't try calling him anymore and the more Oliver scrolled through his callers list, the more he wanted to see hundreds more of missed calls from her. He wanted to see she still tried, wanted to see she was still fighting to get ahold of him.

But with her behavior in the Lobby, the stopped calls all made sense. He just didn't know the reason behind it, but was sure to find out soon.

After Oliver put his phone on the nightstand to let it charge, he quickly stripped out of his Jeans and Henley and made his way into the shower. It was still 30 minutes until he could go downstairs to meet Felicity, but sitting on his bed while staring at his list of missed calls for another 20 minutes wasn't really an option, so he chose to get ready instead after sending Tommy a quick text that he made it to Marbella safely.

Actually, he planned to have an incredible evening with her. He wanted to take her to Dinner, maybe snuggle at the beach with her for a while, and then go to her room, spending the night there and see where things could lead.

Before he left Marbella, Tommy's words stuck deep in Oliver's head. He didn't want to break Felicity's heart, and without knowing if things could work out or how he really felt about the thing that they had, there was no way he could have slept with her.

Playboy Oliver wouldn't have cared about that for one minute, he would have made his move the first evening already. But this wasn't about Playboy Oliver and some 'vacation hookup' as his mother liked to call it - this felt like it could be way more. And it took Oliver a flight back home to Starling City to fully realize that.

So with the romantic Dinner and all his plans for the evening over board, he had to think of a Plan B for the night. Never he would have guessed that Felicity would refuse having Dinner with him, but with her strange behavior earlier he was happy she at least agreed to see him.

And there he sat now on the edge of his bed, fresh out of the shower, in his black boxer briefs, hair just towel dried and still damp. He contemplated about wearing the suit he packed for the Date, but decided against it. It wouldn't be fitting if he just went over to Felicity's room for talking.

Instead he went for the casual look, throwing on some Cargo Shorts and a black T-Shirt and his favorite Nike Sneakers. For a moment he considered wearing a cap but quickly decided against it and went to style his hair. After a load of his favorite perfume ("If she can't see me I must make sure she can at least smell me, right?"), Oliver quickly grabbed his key card and phone and made his way downstairs.

With every step towards her room Oliver became more and more nervous. He wanted to bring her flowers, but wasn't sure if she'd like the gesture. Should he hug her when she opened the door? He wanted to, but with the way she pulled back earlier when he grabbed her hand in the Lobby, he decided against it.

"Don't think too much, it'll be fine, Queen." he muttered to himself before he entered her floor and walked to her Room.

He stopped in front of her door and listened closely. Was she back from Dinner already? Oliver knew he was a few minutes early, which was so unlike him, but he just couldn't sit in his room and wait anymore. When he heard a shuffling noise and a door being closed inside, he hesitantly approached her door and knocked softly.

After a few seconds he could hear the all familiar hopping sound before the door slowly opened and her head peeked out.  
"Uhm, hi." Oliver spoke while rubbing his palms on his pants and Felicity fully opened her room door at the familiar voice.

"Hi," she spoke hesitantly, before motioning for him to come inside. Oliver went past her and entered the room, only to freeze on the spot after looking around. When Felicity followed him inside and took a seat on the edge of her bed, Oliver quickly looked around her bedroom and bathroom.

"You have packed?" Was the only thing he could blurt out at the moment, clearly confused about the scenario in front of him. He wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful in her purple dress; that he missed seeing her face and that he felt sorry for not calling her. But after seeing an almost empty room and her two travel cases neatly packed and placed at the foot of the bed, he couldn't say any of that any more.

"Yeah, uhm…" Felicity looked around the room and shifted further onto the bed, "I'll leave tomorrow afternoon. My friend was able to book us an earlier flight, so I'll head back home sooner than planned." She gave him a small smile before leaning back against the headboard of her bed. Oliver still stood in the spot, dumbfounded. Felicity relaxed her back against the headboard, hands in her lap, her left foot stretched out on the mattress while the right one dangled from the bed, her Flip Flop long forgotten.

"Felicity," he slowly began, making his way to the foot of the bed to sit down. He could see Felicity inhale deeply at the shift of the mattress but she didn't say a word, so he fully sat down before he spoke again. "What about your Doctor's appointments? Shouldn't you be having more until the end of the week?"

"I cancelled them." she shrugged.

"What? Why?"

"Because they didn't leave me an option, actually. It was either this, or taking the risk of losing my eyesight completely during the treatment."

Oliver just stared at her while she spoke. She sounded very confident and it didn't seem she was having doubts about her decision, yet he couldn't completely understand what she was talking about. She had high hopes in the treatment before Oliver left and now she just sat there, telling him she wouldn't do anything.

But what irritated him the most was the distant behavior that Felicity kept towards him. This wasn't like the woman he left on Monday morning, kissing him passionately in the Lobby; this was like the woman he approached on Friday at the Pool, distant and hesitant towards him. He quickly wanted to change the topic and finally apologize to her and explain what happened, but he had no idea how to start that topic.

Felicity made the decision for him when she spoke again.  
"Oliver – what are you doing here? I mean, no offense, you can make holidays wherever you want, but –"

"I came back to see you, Felicity." he said and found himself sliding further onto the mattress, putting his hand on her knee. Felicity froze on the spot, but didn't remove his hand, so Oliver kept on speaking. "I owe you the biggest apology in the world and I can only guess you must be very confused and upset right now."

"Well that sums it up pretty well." she mumbled while fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"I forgot my phone on the plane restroom and was unable to retrieve it until yesterday, shortly before I left to board another plane to go back to you." Oliver spoke calmly, even though his heart was racing. "So every time you called me and I didn't pick up – I couldn't! I even called the Hotel reception twice, asking them to give you or your Nurse my office number so you could reach me, but after I didn't hear from you, I assumed they either got my number wrong or didn't hand you the note – OR you didn't want to speak to me at all." He tried to search Felicity's face for any movements or emotions, but she kept her face completely blank, eyes hidden behind the sunglasses like she did all day.

"Felicity, if you have any doubts about this, just tell me and I'll stay away from you. I just… -" he slid up to the middle of the bed and placed her hand in his, "I just wanted to let you know that I tried to get in touch with you _SO_ bad. I had two horrible days guessing you must think the worst about me. I was just an idiot and forgot the phone in that damn restroom and when I arrived home and wanted to call you I realized that it was gone, and –"

"Oliver" Felicity interrupted him, barely whispering his name, before she pulled him down and crashed her lips over his. Oliver immediately kissed her back, stroking her face with his hand while he sneaked his other arm around her and pulled her in his lap. Felicity could feel his heart racing and she was happy that she wasn't the only one who felt this way.  
When she pulled back for air, she rested her forehead on his chest.

"I was so worried when I couldn't reach you at first. But after a day the worry had been replaced by doubt and anger and after I talked to my friend and told her about you and our last weekend, I was sure you only wanted to have your fun for some days and then go back home; that you never had the intention to call me again."

"No Felicity, absolutely not." He pulled her face in both of his hands and made her look up. When he gently removed the sunglasses and put them aside, she immediately closed her eyes. She couldn't focus on his lips or eyes anyway, so she opted to close them instead. When Oliver rested his forehead against hers, she took a deep breath.

"I've had the worst two days of my life." He admitted with a light chuckle.

"Yeah, tell me about it." She just snorted and Oliver had to laugh. Just when he was going to kiss her again, his stomach made a terribly loud grumbling sound and Felicity burst out laughing.

"Hey, stop laughing," he pouted. "I haven't eaten anything since I left in New York, okay?".

"What do you think? Should we head out to the Marina and see if we can find a nice little Restaurant? I know you have eaten already, but maybe there's still room for Dessert?" he smiled at her and Felicity just grinned at him, nodding eagerly. The last two days had been boring as hell for her and as it turned out, her nurse Nick wasn't really someone you'd call good company.

When she got off the bed and straightened out her dress with her palms, Oliver hugged her from behind, burying his nose in her neck.  
"You look beautiful." He whispered and Felicity was sure she was blushing all over her face.

They made their way out of the Hotel and down the road to the Marina in silence mostly. Felicity enjoyed being in Oliver's company and Oliver was just happy to spend this evening with her.

When they took a seat at a nice Restaurant down at the harbor and Oliver made his orders, he placed her hand in his and gently started stroking her palm.  
"So… how have your last two days been?" Felicity tried to sound as casual as possible, but couldn't contain a slight grin.

"Oh, let's see… I had to leave a wonderful woman behind in Marbella to fly back home to Starling City. Shortly before we arrived Tommy tried to beat me to death with a bowl of cherries. Then I forgot my phone on the jet restroom and didn't realize until I was home already. Oh and then I had a fight with my sister at 8 in the morning which turned into a serious yelling competition over the breakfast table. Oh well, and I'm pretty sure I only slept like 5 hours in the last two days." He nonchalantly nipped on his wine before grinning at her. "What about you?"

Felicity chuckled all the time while she kept listening to Oliver's half ramble – half pouting. It sure sounded like he didn't have any fun and she was trying to cheer him up.  
"Oh you know… nothing exciting. Met a nice guy at the Pool but it didn't work out because he had to fly back home. Went to Dinner with my nurse which turned out to be the best time of my life, I never had such a good conversation before." Felicity burst out laughing while she spoke, unable to finish the bullshit she was trying to make him believe. Guessing from Oliver's silence he was cocking an eyebrow at her or something, which made her giggle even more.

"Oh god I would love to see your face right now." she blurted out between laughs and immediately blushed at the words.

"I missed that laugh," Oliver admitted. "And if we weren't in public right now I would love to pull you onto my lap." he genuinely replied.

They ate and talked until late in the evening. Felicity explained him all the details about the Doctor's Check-up and treatment again and Oliver slowly began to understand why she didn't want to do this.  
They also talked about Tommy and Laurel and that they sent their best wishes, along with the info that they expected to see Felicity in Starling City for a Double Date, soon.

When they made their way back to the Hotel around 11.30pm, Felicity couldn't contain a yawn. Oliver was still too jet-lagged to be tired, even though he hadn't slept much the last two days either.

When they made it to her room, Oliver helped her inside and made himself ready to leave again when a hand wrapped around his wrist and stopped him.

He had a déjà-vu to the moment when Isabel grabbed his wrist a day ago in front of his Apartment, but this time it were Felicity's brightly painted nails and her tiny fingers that held his wrist, and he could only appreciate the sight.

"Felicity, it's late. We both really need to sleep –"

Before Oliver could finish the sentence, Felicity wrapped her hand around his neck and closed the distance between their lips. She pulled back after a few seconds, only to whisper "Stay." Into his ear before starting to kiss her way back up his jaw to his lips again.

Oliver broke the kiss after a few seconds, looking down at her.  
"Felicity, are you sure?" he asked gently and Felicity just smiled and turned around.

"Would you help me out of the dress, please?" she spoke over her shoulder before pulling her hair aside to show Oliver the zipper at the back of her dress.

He grabbed the zipper but hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should do that. He was never one to over-think situations, but right now Oliver wasn't sure if this was what Felicity really wanted.  
"Oliver, please" she whispered and it was all it took to make him snap.

He slowly pulled the zipper down to reveal black lace and her wonderful tattooed wings underneath. When the dress hang loosely around her shoulders, he started nipping on her neck and Felicity tilted her head to the side to give him more leverage. When he reached her pulse point, she inhaled deeply.

Oliver pulled her to him, her small back firmly pressed against his broad chest. While he kept nipping at her neck and ear, his hands slowly pulled the straps of her dress over her shoulders and let it fall to the ground.

Felicity sneaked her right arm up and into his hair to pull him closer to her, making Oliver moan. He let his hands roam over her body, enjoying the feel of naked skin underneath his palms. When he reached her bra he gently pulled one of the straps down and started to tweak her nipple while he gently bit on her pulse point. Felicity couldn't contain a moan and Oliver pressed her tighter to his body, letting his pants and his very prominent bulge graze her ass.

When she tried to sneak her right hand around between their bodies to rub his growing length through his pants, Oliver let go of her nipple and slowly made his way down her body. When his fingertips grazed the waistband of her panties, she inhaled deeply while wrapping her fingers firmly around his length, squeezing him tightly.

Oliver groaned into her neck before dipping his fingers into her panties.  
"Felicity," he moaned, when he felt how wet she already was.

Felicity moaned slightly at the feel of Oliver's fingers against her, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

Oliver slowly walked them backwards until his calves hit the bed, never stopping his ministrations to her slick folds.

When Oliver sat back and pulled her into his lap, he spread her legs slightly with his knees and slowly slid one finger into her wet heat. Felicity arched her back and moaned loudly, jerking her hips over his firm erection.

"You feel so good, Felicity." he moaned into her ear while nipping on her Industrial Piercing. "God, I wanted to do this for so long."

When Oliver wrapped an arm securely around her stomach and laid back on the bed with her back resting on him, Felicity let out a surprised squeal.  
"Relax, beautiful. If you want to stop at any point, just say it and we'll stop." he whispered into her ear and Felicity was sure she just became more aroused just by the sound of his raspy voice. When he planted his feet firmly on the mattress, he spread her legs even wider in the process.

"This needs to go," he whispered while pulling on her panties and Felicity was quick to help him shove the lacy garment down her legs. When he leaned back on the mattress and Felicity let her head fall onto his chest, Olivers fingers started exploring her body again. While one hand gently cupped her breast, the other trailed over her toned stomach down to her hips before dipping between her slick folds again. His thumb started teasing her clit with slow circles while he slipped a finger deep inside her. Felicity arched her back into Oliver's hand kneading her breast and let out a loud moan, not able to withhold them any longer.

She writhed under his touch and Oliver could feel her breathing speed up just as much as her heartbeat. Smiling proudly into her neck, he added another finger and Felicity tried to widen her legs even more, trying to pull him deeper inside.  
"Please don't stop Oliver…. Feels so good." she moaned, trying to grind her hips into his hand to feel him deeper inside her.

Licking the outer shell of her ear Oliver whispered "I want to taste you." before pulling out his fingers to move them to his lips, only to be stopped by Felicity's hand. Oliver tilted his head in surprise, trying to look at her, when she moved his fingers to her lips and slowly started licking them, sucking each of them deep into her mouth.

Oliver growled at the sight of Felicity licking her own juices from his fingers before he tilted her head in his direction to slant his lips over hers. The taste of her juices on her lips made him even harder. She moaned into the kiss when Oliver plunged his fingers deep into her core again, sliding them in and out of her at a slow but steady pace that made her writhe above him.

Felicity gasped and rubbed her hips into his groin before she arched her back and reached between them, fumbling for the belt of his pants with her right hand.  
"I could use a little help down there," she mumbled onto his lips and Oliver was quick to help out.

With quick movements he shoved his pants down his legs and freed himself of his T-Shirt. When Felicity felt pure muscle under herself, she inhaled deeply. She tried to let her fingernails scratch over his ribs and Oliver quickly grabbed her wrist and shoved her hands above their heads.

"Stop teasing me" he moaned, before plunging his finger deep into her wet core again. Felicity grinded her hips into his length, only the thin material of his boxer briefs separating them. Felicity started writhing in his arms and Oliver knew she was close, so he started circling her clit with his thumb again.

"Oh God, I think I'm going to come," she panted, her hips undulating against him.

"Don't hold back Felicity, let go…. Come for me!" he whispered in her ear, stroking her to a climax that almost made her faint. Her hips were going wild, moving against him and her cries grew sharper until she finally clenched tightly around his fingers, screaming out her release.

Her walls convulsed around him and Oliver helped her ride it out. She panted, unable to stop moving above him and Oliver gently stroked her body with his hand until she calmed down.  
"God, you're so beautiful." He whispered in her ear, gently stroking her hair before he peppered her head and shoulders with kisses.

It was Felicity who moved first, sliding off Oliver's body and onto the mattress next to him. When she tried to grab his boxer briefs, he gently stopped her hand.  
Felicity gave him a confused look. "But –"

"No. Tonight is just about you." He smiled, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Now, c'mere."  
Oliver pulled her to his chest, covering them both under her sheets.

"Oliver, that… that was," she struggled to find the right words, still feeling the aftershocks of the orgasm that ripped through her minutes ago. "That was probably the most intense orgasm I've ever had." she admitted, not able to hide a blush while she rested her head next to his on the pillow.

"Open your eyes." he whispered calmly and Felicity just shook her head, keeping her eyes firmly closed, feeling embarrassed.

"Open your eyes, please. I want to see them." Oliver whispered again while he gently stroked her hair.

Felicity ducked her head. "They probably look horrible, swollen or red or something." she mumbled into his chest. "And I can't see you anyway, so I'd rather keep them closed."

"Felicity," he gently tipped her head up again, "I am sure they are fine. Now open them – please." He whispered before pressing a kiss to her lips.  
When he pulled back, Felicity slowly opened her eyes and looked into his direction before blinking a few times. The light in the room was very dim, only the nightstand covering the room in a soft glow, which actually helped Felicity keeping her eyes open. Too bright lights still hurt her eyes if she didn't wear sunglasses, so she was happy she could open them without having the urge to close them again immediately.

"God, you have the most amazing blue eyes I have ever seen…" he murmured and Felicity quickly closed them again and ducked her head under his chin.

When she let out a small yawn, Oliver snuggled her closer to his chest and kissed her temple gently.  
"Now let's sleep. We both need it. Lot's of things to do tomorrow" he said before he shut off the light and relaxed into the bed with her in his arms.


	9. Departure

Felicity slowly awoke to two sounds filling her room. One very familiar to her ears, the other – not so much.

The birds were chirping outside to let her know the day had begun in Marbella and it was slowly time to get up. And then there was that other sound, coming from the other side of her bed, and for a moment she thought a Polar Bear was sleeping next to her.

"Stop snoring!" she grumbled when she whipped her pillow in his face. "There are people in this room who actually try to sleep."

When the blow of her pillow straight into his face jolted him awake and ripped him out of his sleep, Oliver shot up in surprise and tried to figure out what was happening. When Felicity whacked him a second time while giggling like a little kid, Oliver ducked to the side and tried to avert the blow with his arm – which sent him over the edge of the mattress and onto the floor of her room, butt-first.

Felicity burst out laughing at the sound and could only guess what was happening around her. Oliver's confused sounds and whimpers combined with the loud 'thud' and the fact that her blanket had been ripped off her with a swoosh made everything clear to her.  
"Oliver, did you just fell out of bed?" she laughed hysterically, tears already pricking in the corners of her eyes.

"Very funny Smoak, veeeeery funny. What are you? 12?" Oliver grumbled while getting up from the floor and back in bed.

"Oh I see… you're no morning person then." she giggled.

"Not if you're trying to wake me up like this every morning."

"Well Mister, you were snoring like a lumberjack!" Felicity laughed when she turned on her back and looked over at his side.

"I was protecting you while you were sleeping!" he grinned.

Felicity burst out laughing again. He couldn't be serious.  
"Protecting me? From what? Gnomes stealing my underpants or something?" she laughed.  
"We really need to work on that or I have to sleep on your couch when I visit you." she waggled a finger in his direction and warned him.

Oliver leaned up on his elbows. "So you will still come visit me in Starling City?"

"Of course! - I mean… I hope you still want me to visit you?" Felicity sounded uncertain. Was he still up to this? They didn't talk much about everything last night, but she got the feeling Oliver was in the same boat as her.

He crouched over to her, pulling her into his embrace, nuzzling his face into her neck before he spoke again. "I can't wait to have you in Starling City, Felicity. I would even take you home with me today and never let you leave again if I could." he admitted and Felicity had to smile when something dawned to her and she pushed away from him a bit to sit up.

"Oh frack, Oliver! You just arrived back here and I'll be leaving today… how long did you plan to stay here? I feel bad now," she frowned, "had I known you were coming here again, I would have never re-scheduled my flight!"

Oliver could only smile while he gently stroked her hair.  
"Everything's fine. I didn't know when you were leaving on Sunday, so I didn't book a flight back yet. I'll leave for the airport with you and will grab a flight from there. I mean, I could even fly with you and then take a car from LA or have Tommy pick me up with the Jet. We'll see where they can book me." he smiled at her and pulled her into his embrace again. They cuddled in silence for a few minutes until Oliver let out a snort, shaking his head a bit.

"What is it?" Felicity turned to face him, curious to what went on in his mind.

"I didn't even unpack when I arrived here yesterday. And now we're heading back home today already. Tommy will kill me," Oliver huffed a laugh.

They spent the morning in bed for as long as they could. Oliver ordered them breakfast into their Room and they sat on her balcony, enjoying the birds chirping and the sun slowly rising over the Spanish Coast. When Nick called her to let her know their Shuttle would arrive in 30 minutes, they slowly made themselves ready to go downstairs.

Oliver quickly ran up to his room, gathered his stuff and arrived in the Lobby just in time to catch a cab to the Airport.  
Felicity already waited there while Nick checked in their luggage.

When Oliver arrived, he immediately booked a flight back to Starling City and took a seat next to Felicity in the Departure Hall.

"So… for how long do you have to sit here and wait for your flight?" Felicity grinned over her shoulder while rummaging through the bag in her lap, looking for her Passport.

"Just 2 hours. I got a seat on the next plane leaving to NYC."

"Did I ever tell you that I have a cousin living in Starling City?" Felicity smiled at him through her sunglasses.

Oliver gave her a confused look. "No, you haven't. So have you been to Starling in the past already?"

"No, he just moved there like 6 months ago. I always planned to visit him, but with my work and then everything that happened with Cooper I just didn't have the yet. But I'll definitely pay him a visit as soon as I'll visit you." she grinned at him, bumping into his shoulder.

Oliver took her hand in his, rubbing her palm gently with his thumb.  
"I can't wait to see you again." he whispered into her ear before he kissed her neck gently. Felicity stiffened in her wheelchair, trying not to look too affected by Oliver's touch.

"Stop that or I'll jump you in front of all the people here!" she murmured into his neck.

"Is that a promise, Miss Smoak?" he teased and did it again.

"Oliver, seriously… stop it!" she whined and had to shove him away, letting her hand rest on his firm chest a little longer than needed.  
"I can't wait to have that damn eyesight back" she mumbled to herself and Oliver had to chuckle.

"Well I just hope I'm no disappointment to you once you've seen me for the first time," he teased and Felicity could clearly hear the amused tone in his voice.

"I'm sure I'm going to love it" she smiled at him and Oliver took her face in his hands, pulling her over for a long, sweet kiss.

It was Nick that interrupted them, once again.  
"Felicity? We really need to leave now. Security check will take some time and the plane will board soon."

Felicity threw her hands around his chest and hugged him as tight as she could.  
"I promise I will call as soon as I land in New York, Felicity. And I promise I won't use the restroom on the plane – or any other room, for that matter." Felicity had to laugh at that. When she sniffed her nose, he gently stroked her back. "Hey, everything's fine, beautiful. We just hop on board, fly back home and as soon as we got back we'll set a date so I can visit you.

"Okay," she whispered and Oliver pulled her in for another passionate kiss.

When she pulled back and took a seat in her wheelchair again, Oliver kissed her palm gently and placed it in her lap again. Nick grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and quickly rolled her to the Security Check.

Oliver could only sit in his chair and watch her leave.


	10. Past vs Present

**My longest Chapter so far. It's also going to be quite smutty. I don't regret anything. :D** **Enjoy reading!** **Also, thanks so much for all the Kudos and Comments! I read them all and try to take suggestions seriously! This is my very first fanfic over all and the first time I'm writing such a massive Story in a different language, as well. So challengeing! :)**

The following 2 weeks Oliver and Felicity kept in contact almost 24/7.

He called her every morning to wake her up, she called him every evening to kiss him goodnight over the phone. It became like a habit to Oliver – one night when she passed out on the couch after a long conversation with Caitlin, she didn't call him before Oliver went to bed; and it took him a long time to actually fall asleep that night. He tried calling her twice, just to make sure she was alright, but she didn't pick up.  
When he gave it a try on the landline of Caitlin's house, Felicity's best friend picked up the phone, clearly annoyed at who might call that late in the evening. Felicity told him to use that number at extreme emergency cases only, but not being able to reach her on the phone was emergency case enough to him to excuse it.

 _"Hello?" a clearly annoyed voice picked up the phone._

 _"Uhm, hi. Sorry to bother you that late in the evening, but… can I speak to Felicity, please?"_

 _"Who wants to speak to her? And how did you get that number" the annoyed voice replied and Oliver found himself very insecure all of a sudden. This wasn't a behavior he was familiar with towards him, especially when it came to women. But on the other hand he was happy that Felicity has a friend who seemed to be careful, which is good, he thought._

 _"I'm Oliver, a … friend of Felicity. She gave me this number in case I can't reach her on her phone."_

 _"She's sleeping." was the quick reply._

 _"Oh I see…. Well uhm, could you let her know that I called?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"Thanks. And sorry again for disturbing so late. Bye."_  
Without another word, Felicity's friend ended the call.

Oliver found himself staring at the phone in his hand for several minutes, contemplating about what just happened. He was supposed to meet Felicity's friends in the near future and if they were all like that – Lord help him. "Maybe it was just too late to call." he muttered to himself and went to bed. Felicity would call him as soon as she was awake the next morning, so he could try and get some rest, too.

After a long and stressful day at his Training Center and later at lunch with his mother, Oliver was happy to come home and finally have the chance to talk to Felicity again. Sure, texting with her during the day was fun, but hearing her voice did something to him that text messages couldn't. It calmed him down and made him miss Felicity's presence a little less.  
As soon as he kicked his boots in the corner and plopped onto his couch, he called her. And as soon as he heard her voice for the first time that day, all stress fell from his shoulders and he was able to relax.

They talked about his day and about her Dimmer with her Mom. Felicity told him about her Doctor's Appointment earlier that day and that her casts can be removed earlier than expected. Oliver was very relieved to hear that because it meant that Felicity's body was strong and healed itself perfectly. He couldn't shake the constant worry when it came to her, even if it was just a scratch or a broken bone that needed to heal. But Felicity didn't mind him being so worried, so there was no need for him to hide it.

When Felicity let out a yawn, Oliver spoke up.  
"Hey uhm… I have the rest of the week off, our Bosses are discussing the final details with the new Sponsor and we don't have to be at the Training Centre and I thought…" he wasn't sure how to say it, even though he was sure Felicity would love the idea.

"What is it?" Felicity asked in a curious tone.

"Would you like me to visit you in LA?" he practically blurted out, followed by long seconds of dead silence on both ends of the line. Oliver wasn't sure if she was still on the line and was going to call her name when Felicity finally spoke up.

"Oh absolutely! I was already wondering when you would ask me and even thought about asking you, but then I wasn't so sure if I could travel all the way to Starling by myself and maybe you were just very busy and –"

"Felicity!" he laughed, stopping her rambling before it became worse. "So it's a yes?"

"Yes! Yes, absolutely! I just need to talk to Caitlin if she's okay with it, too. I mean, it's her place after all."

"Oh I can stay in a Hotel, no problem!"

"No you absolutely won't!" Felicity replied with a firm (but still super cute) tone.

"Caitlin has a guest room that we can use, I'm sure she's okay with that. She doesn't use it anyway. We'd just need to put up the bed, she never unpacked it, that's why I'm crashing on her couch right now, too. I'll ask her tomorrow morning and will let you know. When do you want to come over?"

"As soon as possible. I could basically catch a flight as soon as I hear from you tomorrow."

"I can't wait to see you," she whispered into the phone and Oliver just smiled at that. "Sleeping alone is the worst, especially on these stupid fluffy pillows. I miss the firm chest of yours to sleep on." She mumbled.

"Yeah, tell me about it" Oliver laughed and Felicity had to giggle.

"You love sleeping on my firm chest? Wait, do I have a firm chest?" she rambled and Oliver could swear she was feeling her chest right now to find out whether it was firm or soft.

Oliver couldn't stop laughing. He missed that carefree, relaxed Felicity and couldn't wait to be by her side again.

"No, beautiful, you don't have a firm chest. Or hairy, for that matter – which I appreciate, by the way." he joked and Felicity burst out laughing.

"You're an idiot, Queen!" she laughed. "And usually I'm the one rambling, don't take that away from me!"

"And you're very charming tonight, Smoak." He countered and both giggled for a little while until it was time to end the call.

"I should really get some sleep now. Caitlin will be up early and I don't want to miss her before she's off for work. The sooner I talk to her the sooner I have you in my arms again." Felicity said and Oliver couldn't agree more.

"Sleep well, angel wings. And call me as soon as you know!"

"Will do. Bye!" she whispered and ended the call.

Oliver dropped his head back onto the couch and exhaled deeply. What that woman did to him was beyond words. He never felt like that before and he sure had his fair share of vacation hook-ups in the past. But this? This was different. He never felt so over-protective of a woman before, never felt so head over heels for a woman so fast, and he especially never cared to see them again after the vacations, even if they tried to get in touch with him again. Everything about Felicity was so unlike him. Sure, she was absolutely beautiful and her physical features were the things that draw his attention first, there was no way to deny that. But the more he got to know of Felicity, the more she fascinated him.  
But he had to admit, though, that she was the first woman he met that didn't know anything about Oliver Queen, Playboy Billionaire, Starling Archer QB, Party Boy. It was very… – refreshing for him not to be judged a way everybody in the Media saw him. Sure, most of the Headlines about him were true but he also realized how hard it was to find a woman he could start a serious relationship with. Women that didn't want to be with him for media presence and money reasons were very rare to find and if he found one, she was most likely scared off as soon as she heard his last name.

A conversation with Tommy from earlier that week suddenly popped into his mind. Tommy asked how things with Felicity were going and Oliver told him about their daily calls and her well-going recovery. But then Tommy said something that bothered Oliver for a long time after the conversation ended.

 _"Do you really want to be with Felicity?"  
Tommy's unexpected comment made Oliver look at his friend in confusion._

 _"Of course I do! What are you talking about?"_

 _"Well, sometimes it just seems you're just very over-protective of her because she's hurt and vulnerable right now. And I get it, Ollie, I really do. I would try and protect her as well if I weren't with Laurel. But do you want to be with Felicity because of her, or do you think you want to be with her because you're feeling the need of protecting her? Have you asked yourself yet?"_

 _"Are you implying I'm taking advantage of her?" Oliver's tone became louder and more serious and Tommy raised his hands to in defense._

 _"Hey, I'm not implying anything. I'm just saying. I don't think you're taking advantage of her, I just want you to make sure you want to be with Felicity for the right reasons – not that there are any wrong reasons." Tommy quickly added before Oliver could protest again. "Just figure out whether you want to be with her because she raises your protective instincts or if you really want to be with her because of your heart."_

 _Oliver exhaled loudly and plopped back into the seat, grabbing his Scotch, downing it in one gulp. Tommy had a point, Oliver had to admit that. Being protective like that of a woman was never something he cared for in the past, as 'weak' women never draw his attention. But with Felicity he also had to admit that he didn't care for her injuries or the blindness. The casts would be gone soon and she seemed to still be able to handle herself very well, so that was just a temporary thing – so was the blindness according to the Doctors. And if Oliver was completely honest, he wouldn't even mind if she'd never get her eyesight back._

 _"Sure I'm protective of her. She can't see and can barely walk on her own. You said it yourself; you would behave the same if you were in my position. I'm not with her for brotherly reasons or something, if that's what you're talking about." Oliver said, never looking up from the Scotch glass that he rolled around in his palm._

 _"Honestly… If everything is like you told me, this woman could be the real deal, buddy. Just… don't mess that up." Tommy said while getting up from his chair next to Oliver, patting his shoulder before making his way over to Laurel._

Isabel was the first serious relationship Oliver had been in since Laurel in High School.  
When Laurel and him broke up and parted ways to different Universities, Oliver started partying and sleeping around, not caring for his reputation or what his parents expected from him. Then the Starling Archers showed interest in him and he moved back home and met Isabel. One of the Trainers suggested her to him as he still needed a Manager, so he got in touch with her.

What started out as a business corporation quickly turned into more. They started seeing each other privately and Oliver started to like the fierceness that surrounded her. Isabel was none to fool around; she stood her ground, even on 4 inch heels and still looked sexy and seductive all the time.  
Oliver's family never approved of her though, especially Thea.

Thea flat out told him several times that she hated his girlfriend.  
"I have her saved under 'bitch' in my contacts so every time she calls me I can yell _"that bitch is calling again" and then reject the call."_ Thea once told him while they were sitting in the living room in the Queen Mansion and waited for their mother to arrive.  
Moira tolerated Isabel when it came to family dinners but never cared to have a conversation with her.

The more Oliver thought about Isabel, the more he realized he couldn't avoid her for much longer. It had been weeks since they parted ways and Oliver somehow successfully managed to avoid her until now. He dreaded to have that conversation with her, but they still needed to discuss some things that could affect both their future, no matter if he liked it or not. Plus, it bothered him as hell to have missed calls from her almost every day. Isabel was like an itch that you couldn't scratch away and he was done scratching. It was finally time to get over with this topic, he knew that.

Mentally, he made a note to talk to Isabel as soon as he returned from visiting Felicity. Now was not the time to cloud his mind with negative thoughts or worries about 'that talk' with Isabel.

Oliver was woken up by the familiar buzzing sound of the phone on his nightstand. It was already sunny outside and he wondered how long the thoughts of Isabel and Felicity had kept him awake last night. It was never him to sleep that long.

When he checked the phone he saw Felicity's face on the screen and had to smile instantly before he took the call.  
"Morning," he whispered in his raspy, sleep ridden voice and a very giggly and excited Felicity answered. "Guessing from your excited tone I take it Caitlin approved of having me over at her house?"

"Yes yes yes!" she practically shrieked, "I can't wait to have you around me again!"

Oliver had to smile and quickly got out of bed. "Alright, I'll book a flight for as soon as possible. I just need to let Tommy know incase anything happens around here and then I'll be on my way to the airport. Is it crazy when I say I'm excited? I feel like a teenager" he joked and Felicity admitted she felt the same way.

"Okay, I'm going to book the flight and will let you know as soon as I'm heading to the airport."  
Oliver quickly put on some sweatpants and a Shirt and patted into his office. Before they were ready to end the call, Oliver interrupted her. "Wait! … How long do you want me to stay?" he asked, a bit hesitant. They didn't talk about how long he could visit her and if he wanted to book a return flight he would need to know.  
"Oh, uhh… I don't know? How long **could** you stay?"

"Well I need to be back at the Training Centre by Monday morning, so I could definitely stay until Sunday. If that's okay with you and Caitlin?"

"Oh absolutely. I'm sure she won't care if you're staying 2 days or 4 – since I didn't tell her anyway." Felicity giggled.

"I should really book a Hotel room, just in case" Oliver threw in but Felicity interrupted him.

"Oh don't be silly. It's fine, I asked her. Now please book a flight and come over here quickly!" she hushed him and Oliver immediately started checking for flights to LA.

When he arrived at the airport 2 hours after they ended the call, he quickly checked in his luggage and took a seat in the waiting area before calling Felicity again.  
She immediately picked up and got crazy excited when she heard the noise of the airport in the background of his call.

"Hey angel wings! My plane will be boarding in a few minutes. I still need an address for your house, though. I'll grab a cab at the airport then to get to you."

"Oh sure, I'll text it over in a minute. Can't wait to see you soon!" she smiled and they ended the call when Oliver's flight was announced.

Felicity still had a lot to manage before Oliver would arrive and with Caitlin out of the house she had to do everything on her own.  
Vacuum cleaning the guest room turned out to be a bad idea, though. Apparently there were vases placed in 2 corners of the room that Felicity couldn't remember from before. Sadly one of them ended its life before she would have her eyesight back when she knocked it over with the vacuum cleaner and it shattered to a thousand pieces. Felicity hopped into the main room to grab a broom and clean up the mess as good as she could. Caitlin would be back home soon for her lunch break, so Felicity would have assistance in removing the glass.  
She pulled all of her luggage and bags into the guest room and freed the couch of her sheets.

When the radio station announced the time, she quickly made her way to the shower. There was still an appointment she needed to go to before Oliver arrived here and she didn't want to have him waiting.

When Caitlin arrived back home, she quickly helped Felicity clean up the mess in the guest room and then drove her to her appointment in the hospital. Just when they were on their way back home, Felicity's phone made a beeping sound. It was a voicemail from Oliver she apparently had received while she had muted her phone during the Doctor's appointment.  
"Hey, I just landed. Need to wait for my luggage and then I'll catch a cab. Miss you."

Felicity smiled at his excited voice and saved the message to her Mailbox, just in case she needed to hear his voice whenever she couldn't reach him.  
"When will he arrive here?" Caitlin's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"He just arrived at the airport. As soon as he has his luggage he'll make his way here." Felicity replied when both women left the car and entered the Apartment.

"Oh then it should only be 15 minutes. There's not much traffic in the city right now, he should be through it quickly." Caitlin smiled at her friend. "I can't wait to meet him. I wonder if he is as I imagine him to be," she giggled.

"How do you imagine him to be, then?" Felicity asked curiously. She wondered what Caitlin would think of Oliver and if he really was like Felicity always described him.

"Well since you pretty much only talk about his muscles and his broad chest I'd say he's pretty well built. I just hope he is really as nice and charming as you describe him, but I doubt you would be with him if he's a douchebag or asshole. Guess I have to wait a bit more and see for myself. I just hope he arrives in the next 10 minutes before my lunch break is over." Caitlin grinned.

Felicity quickly ran into the guest room and changed into a fuchsia summer dress and put her hair into a high ponytail before she made her way downstairs to wait for Oliver in front of their house.  
She waited outside Caitlin's apartment, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

Her cast had been replaced to a smaller, lighter one, and she was actually able to walk on her own with it. It still didn't allow her to put on Heels or any shoes for that matter, but at least she didn't have to use that damn wheelchair any more. She hadn't told Oliver about the appointment yet and wanted to surprise him with it, but now she stood there in front of her Apartment building, anxiously waiting for the cab to arrive.

When she heard a car stop and two people getting out, her head shot around to make out any more sounds. A man closed the doors and drove off again before steps towards her became louder. She wasn't used to being alone in the Streets or meeting people without the assistance of Caitlin or her Mom, so she didn't know how to react. All her thoughts were thrown away when two strong arms wrapped around her and she heard that all familiar voice, paired with his amazing smell.  
"God, I missed you so much!" Oliver whispered into her hair when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer.

In that moment Felicity realized how much she really missed him in the last two weeks. Hearing his voice over the phone every day was nice, but nothing compared to the physical contact. Inhaling his scent and feeling his strong arms around her made her relax and forget all thoughts that crossed her mind.

On instinct, she looked up and wrapped her hand in his hair to pull him down for a kiss she missed so badly for the last two weeks. As soon as their lips met, Felicity could feel the tingle in her fingers again that she felt back in Marbella for the first time. Oliver grabbed her ass and pulled her up into his arms and Felicity eagerly locked her feet around his back. When he pulled back for air, he could see her face clearly for the first time and realized that the cut and bruise on her cheek was gone.

"You look beautiful," he whispered while Felicity gently ran her nails over through the hair on his neck.

"I'll never let you leave again." she whispered into his chest while listening to his steady heartbeat.

When dark clouds started to fill the sky and a few first rain drops landed on them, Oliver sat her back down again.  
"As much as I would love to keep doing that, we should really get inside before it starts pouring." Oliver smiled before gently kissing her forehead. He turned around and grabbed his bags when Felicity started making her way up the stairs into the Apartment building. When Oliver turned around to follow her, he froze on the spot at the sight in front of him.  
Felicity, confidently taking one step after the other up into the building in something that appeared to be a walking-cast.

When she didn't hear him following her, Felicity turned around.  
"What's wrong?"

"Your cast. When did that happen?" he asked, still confused and amazed by the blonde woman in the flowing dress and black walking cast in front of him. When she looked down, a wide grin crossed her face.

"Oh that? Got it a few hours ago while you were on the plane. It's actually super comfy and I can finally walk around on my own." She said, wiggling the leg around.  
"Do you miss carrying me around or what?" she grinned and Oliver had to laugh at that while he closed the distance between them and made his way up the stairs to follow her into the building.

"Just so you know," he whispered into her ear while they walked side by side, "I could carry you around whenever I want to, no matter If you have a broken foot or not." he grinned before hooking her hand into the crook of his arm so she wouldn't trip.

"I'll take you up on that." Felicity just grinned at him.

They made their way upstairs and to Caitlin's Apartment door. Felicity stopped in front of the door before she was ready to open it and gave Oliver a quick smile.  
"Ready?"

"As ready as I can be." Oliver genuinely replied and Felicity turned the key and opened the door.

When they stepped inside, Felicity could hear sound coming from the kitchen, so she called for her best friend.  
"Cait! We're back!"

Oliver took the moment to look around the apartment and take everything in. When he saw the couch in front of the large windows in the living room, he thought about all the nights Felicity and he spent on the phone, while she apparently lay on that couch. A smile appeared on his face at that thought. When he looked around he saw a brown haired woman enter the living room, a polite smile on her face – until she saw him.  
Oliver didn't know her, of that he was sure. His memory for names was horrible, but he could recognize a face he had seen before in any crowd. But the look on that woman's face told him that he clearly knew who she was about to meet – and panic started to flood Oliver for a second.

Felicity stood between Oliver and Caitlin, a broad smile on her face, looking at her friend's direction when Caitlin came over to them.  
"Cait, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is Caitlin Snow." Felicity proudly introduced the two and Oliver offered his hand with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Oliver –"

Caitlin's expression was completely blank, though, and instead of shaking his hand, she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture.  
"Queen, I know exactly who you are." Caitlin spat out before Oliver could finish his sentence.

Felicity's head shot around in surprise at Caitlin's rude welcome. "Cait! Be nice!" she warned.

"I'm sorry." Caitlin's expression softened at Felicity's warning and she took Oliver's still outstretched hand, though she squeezed it with more force than necessary.

"Why don't you have a seat, Oliver? I'm heading off to the bathroom quickly. Be nice, Caitlin!" Felicity waggled a finger in Caitlin's direction with a warning tone before leaving thetwo of them alone in the living room.

Just when Felicity was out of sight, Caitlin turned to Oliver with a furious expression.  
"You don't remember, do you? Well let me help you enlighten your rusty brain. Starling Archers vs. Anaheim Angels 2013, big win with 3 Interceptions and a huge After-Party…. a blonde cheerleader, a little too drunk for her age at a Party she shouldn't be at 3am in the morning." she spat at him, her arms furiously waving around in front of her.  
"Doesn't ring a bell? No? Yeah I don't expect you to remember, actually, but… newsflash! That drunk, blonde, underage girl you slept with that night… that was my little sister!" Caitlin glared at him, her eyes full of anger and disgust.  
"And let me tell you this, Mister," she said, poking her finger into his chest, "I remember you pretty well and if you break any more hearts of the people I choose to surround myself with, I will unleash absolute hell on you and you have no idea what I'm capable of. You break Felicity's heart, I break your neck. Simple as that." she smiled at him when Felicity returned from the bathroom, keeping the evil glare firmly in her eyes.

Oliver stood in front of her, completely dumb-founded and unable to form or even think a coherent sentence. The worst thing that could happen actually happened. Felicity's best friend (and his soon-to-be host for several nights) apparently knew very well who he was – and she didn't approve of him one single bit. And even though he couldn't remember a thing from the After-Party or the blonde girl Caitlin was talking about, it sounded a lot like something Playboy Oliver would have done.

When Felicity returned and stopped next to Caitlin, Caitlin quickly spoke up.  
"My lunch break is over, I need to head back to the office. Guess I see you guys later." she spoke to Felicity, but kept her evil glare firmly in place on Oliver.

When Caitlin made her way to the door, Oliver quickly took a step forward to follow her.  
"I'll just go and grab my bags." he let Felicity know before following Caitlin out of the Apartment, shutting the door behind them.

Caitlin made her way through the hallway with quick steps and Oliver followed her.  
"Look, I know you must have a bad impression of me," he grabbed Caitlin's wrist to stop her when she turned around and quickly pulled her wrist out of his grip.

"I have just the right impression of you!" she glared at him, trying to keep her voice as moderate as possible so Felicity wouldn't get suspicious.

Oliver gave it another try but took a step back in defense to show Caitlin he wasn't interested in harming her.  
"I just want to ask you to give me a chance. I'm really sorry for what happened with your little sister, but I'm not like that anymore. I was a douche back then but you have to believe me that I'm serious with Felicity. And you're her best friend… and I don't want to mess it up with her." he honestly told her before exhaling loudly. He wasn't sure what else to say to her to make her believe him.

Without another word, Caitlin took a step back from him, turned around and started walking to the exit, her face completely blank from any expression.

Oliver didn't know what to do. He hoped everything would go smoothly with Felicity's best friend; that she could get to know him and maybe become friends with him. But this? This was like the worst thing that could have happened. He wanted to make it right with Felicity; he wanted to make it work. But with Felicity's best friend obviously disapproving so strongly of him, he had no idea how to handle it. He rubbed his forehead with his palm to soothe the headache that started to form and quickly grabbed his bags. He was on his way back to the Apartment door when it suddenly opened and Felicity's head peaked out.

"Everything alright? I heard you guys talking out there. I hope Caitlin wasn't too bitchy. I don't know what bugs her today." she apologized and opened the door for him to enter the Apartment.  
Oliver stepped inside and followed Felicity to the guest room. Once he dropped the bags on the floor, he took a look around. The bed was still disassembled and everything was stacked in a corner. Felicity's stuff was piled next to it and Oliver wondered if it was everything Felicity owned.

"You're so silent suddenly," Felicity said while she grabbed his Shirt and pulled him closer to her. "is everything alright?"

"Yeah, guess I'm just exhausted from the flight." he replied, snuggling into her. "Let me guess, we need to put up the bed before we can sleep in it?"

"Oh, yeah… I tried to do it before you'd arrive here but I'm kind of… you know, temporarily unavailable to things like this." she joked.

"Should we put it up now and then go grab some lunch somewhere? I haven't eaten anything yet. What about you?"

"Lunch sounds perfect." she hummed before loosening the grip on his shirt.

Oliver put up the bed in record time and changed into some lighter clothes before they made their way to Ventura Blvd to grab some lunch. When they exited the cab and walked the last steps to the Restaurant, Felicity took his hand in hers and held it tightly.  
"This is so different," Oliver said, "you walking next to me. We haven't done this before. I really like it." he smiled and Felicity put her head on his shoulder.

They ate at Felicity's favorite Mexican Restaurant and spent almost 4 hours there, talking about everything they already talked about on the phone. Oliver didn't mind, though. He enjoyed Felicity's company so much, she even could have talked complete nonsense and he would still love to listen to her. Seeing her in her familiar surroundings for the first time, he just realized how confident Felicity actually was. She knew Caitlin's Apartment, didn't need to feel around and generally behaved very confident around him, as well. Oliver enjoyed it, though it still felt weird compared to the vulnerable side he got to know of her in Marbella. The side of Felicity that made him get addicted to her very much. But the more he watched Felicity acting like the confident person she seems to be, the more he realized he actually preferred that side of her – and he couldn't wait to get to know more of it.

They left the Restaurant around 6 in the evening and Felicity suggested walking back home instead of taking the cab. She so much enjoyed being able to walk on her own two feet again that she was eager to finally walk around for a bit. Oliver always kept her arm hooked around her waist, pulling her close to him, while they made their way back home slowly.

"I think Caitlin doesn't like me," he mumbled after a few minutes of silence.

"What makes you think that? Trust me; she was just having a bad day. It's not like her to be that grumpy. We'll sit on the couch later, talk a bit, have a glass of wine, and you'll see… Caitlin is super nice." she assured him, gently patting his arm.  
Oliver inhaled deeply and tried to hide a frown. Maybe Felicity was right, maybe they all just needed to sit together and have a conversation. That way Caitlin could see that Oliver really was serious when it came to Felicity.

Just when they arrived at their Apartment building, Felicity's phone started ringing.  
"Hey Fe, just wanted to let you know that it's going to be late tonight. Ronnie asked me out for Dinner tonight and I'll leave right from the office. You don't have to wait for me. Have a nice evening." Caitlin told her in a calm tone.

"Okay, but we'll have Dinner tomorrow night at your place! No discussion!" Felicity warned her with a smile on the face and Caitlin reluctantly agreed. When they ended the call, Felicity turned to Oliver and gently placed her hand on his heart before she looked up at him.

"So… it seems tonight it will be just you and me," she looked up at him seductively before she spoke again. "Caitlin has a Dinner Date and I know for a fact that it will be late because she's out with Ronnie. And every time she goes out with Ronnie, she comes home super late at night…" she grinned at him.

"Why Miss Smoak, are you implying something?" he asked her with a raspy, low voice.

"Well maybe I do." she whispered to him in a seductive tone before turning around to open the door to the Apartment building.

They spent the evening on the couch in Caitlin's living room. Oliver got a grand tour of the Apartment when they returned, including a small spot that Felicity offered him in the bathroom for his stuff. When Oliver spotted the wine rack and asked Felicity about it, they opened one of the bottles and settled on the couch and talked about Felicity's time in Vegas as a kid.  
When the wine started to kick in and Felicity let out a yawn they agreed to call it a day and go to bed.

As soon as they settled in bed together, Oliver pulled the sheets over them and pulled Felicity in a tight embrace. When Oliver tipped her head up and removed her sunglasses, Felicity smiled at him. She wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss that quickly turned into a heated make out session. Things started to get a little more passionate and Oliver started kissing her neck leaving love bites here and there.  
In one quick movement he turned Felicity on her back and hovered above her before he started to lift her sleep shirt above her head.

"Oliver…" she started with a hesitant voice.

"Mmmm?" he said fiddling with the straps of her bra.

"We can't…" she told him, a blush covering her entire face while she tried to hide it under the blanket.

Oliver stopped his movements immediately and studied her for a moment. "Is everything alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah it's just… uhm… I'm currently unavailable... down there," she blurted out before hiding her face under the sheets again.

Oliver's eyebrows shot up and his expression relaxed immediately when he realized what she meant.  
"Oh! I'm sorry beautiful! You should've just said something," he said helping her get her shirt back on. "It's best if we just continue kissing, yeah?" he said cheekily.

"Well if I remember correctly I still owe you a favor from that night in Marbella." she waggled her eyebrows at him and Oliver's eyes immediately darkened a few shades. When Felicity turned around and pressed his shoulder to lie down on the mattress, Oliver stopped her movements.  
"Felicity, you don't have to do that – "

"I want to," she smiled at him. "Or don't you want me to?"  
Oliver just growled at that and Felicity could feel his arousal become very evident when she ran her hand over his boxer briefs. Her nails scratched over the fabric lightly and Oliver couldn't contain a moan when his head dropped back on the pillow.

"Let me take care of you tonight." Felicity smiled and peppered his stomach with wet kisses. When she kneeled between his legs and hooked her fingers under the waistband of his boxers, Oliver slowly lifted his hips and helped her get rid of the garment.

When Felicity raked her fingernails over his impressive length once more, Oliver hissed in a breath. "Don't tease me, Felicity. I'm trying to be a good guy here." he practically whined.

"Oh I'm sure you're going to be very good." Smiling, she looked up at him and kissed her way down his stomach over his hip. When she grabbed his cock and started spreading the moisture that gathered on his tip, Oliver couldn't keep his hands away from her any more. He started stroking her hair gently while his other hand relaxed behind his head on the pillow.

Oliver's sounds were enough indication of the pleasure Felicity brought him as she slowly started stroking his cock. She ran her thumb over the tip again and slid it down his shaft and he squirmed and moaned softly. When she wrapped her hand around him and started stroking him slowly, Oliver's moans and sighs grew louder. When she ran her fingernails over his balls slightly, Oliver gasped and squirmed under her before she ran the tip of her tongue over the head of his cock, slowly circling it. He bucked, startling her and Felicity looked up at his face.  
All reservations that Oliver may have had were thrown out the window at that moment.  
"Don't stop," he begged. "Please, Felicity."

Felicity just gave him a seductive grin. Hearing and feeling him so desperate for release was exciting as hell. She licked the length of his cock, wetting it with her saliva so she would be able to stroke him more easily while she sucked him.  
When Oliver thrust his hips upward impatiently, Felicity took the hint and slid her mouth over his head and ran her tongue around the ridge, making Oliver moan loudly.  
For several minutes, Felicity focused on the rhythm of sucking and licking while she tightened and loosened her fingers on his shaft or gently scratched his balls with her fingernails.

Tasting a drop of precum she smiled, knowing he was close.  
"Fuck, I'm going to come, Felicity!" he moaned when his grip on her hair tightened and Felicity could feel his stomach muscles flex.

At his warning, she sped up her rhythm.  
It was the last step to throw him over the edge. Oliver came with a shout that he was sure even Caitlin's neighbors would have heard. Bucking into her mouth, Felicity triumphantly swallowed each burst of fluid until Oliver fell back onto the mattress and exhaled loudly. When she grinned and licked the tip of his cock again, Oliver shuddered.

"God, no more please! You're going to fucking kill me." he growled before he got up, hooked his hands under her arms and pulled her up to lay beside him. Felicity giggled and Oliver gently stroked loose strands of hair out of her face.

"I guess I don't have to ask if you liked that." she smirked and Oliver just moaned into her hair lightly before peppering it with kisses.  
When Felicity started caressing his chest with her fingertips and slightly grazed his nipple in the process, Oliver hissed out again. Feeling smug, she pinched it slightly before Oliver stopped her hand and turned her on her back in one quick movement, hovering above her.

"As soon as _THIS_ is over," he whispered into her hair while his hand slowly made its way down her stomach over the waistband of her sleep shorts, stroking her through the thin fabric," I'm going to make you scream my name at least 3 times, just with my tongue and my fingers." he whispered into her ear in a low, growly tone that made Felicity become even wetter. When she felt his thumb stroking her clit through the fabric of her pants, she started writhing under him, but Oliver kept her firmly in place.

"Oliver, please" she whined and arched her back, trying to push her hip deeper into his hand."

"What do you want?" he whispered when he nipped her earlobe and her neck, grazing it with his teeth before he bit down on her pulse point.

"Please…" she begged but Oliver teased he. He wanted to hear her say it.

"Please what?" he asked and stopped the movements of his hand on her sex. "Want me to stop?" he smirked.

"Please… make me come." she begged and Oliver quickly shut her up with a kiss when his fingers started stroking her through the fabric of her already soaked pants again. Felicity hooked her right leg around his hips and spread her knees a bit more in the process, giving Oliver better access, earning a growl from him. Felicity could feel him hardening again and slowly moved her hand down his torso so she could stroke him. As soon as she wrapped her hand around his hardened cock again, Oliver growled, inhaling deeply.  
"Fe-li-ci-ty," he warned her.

"What?" she teased. "It's only fair. Besides, I don't want to sleep with **that** between us." She smirked and slowly started pumping his length up and down. Oliver pressed his palm firmly on her apex and started rubbing her clit with his thumb again while he sucked on that sweet spot on her neck that made Felicity melt under him. When her moans became louder and her hips started bucking up into his hand, Felicity started stroking him harder.

"If we're both not coming soon I'm going to fuck you no matter what." he growled at her and started drawing circles on her clit with his thumb. When he pressed down hard, Felicity broke in climax with a loud moan. She kept stroking him hard until Oliver came a second time that night, messing up her sleep shorts in the process.

It took Felicity several minutes to even out her breathing and get her limbs under control again. Oliver plopped onto the bed next to her, unable to move any muscle.  
"You're going to be the death of me." he mumbled with a smile on his lips.

"But you love it." Felicity replied smugly. "I'm going to change into some clean shorts quickly. Don't go anywhere!" she grinned at him before she hopped out of bed and quickly made her way into the bathroom.

"Yeah, it's not that I could move a muscle right now, anyway…" Oliver mumbled and took a deep breath. Even though the evening didn't go as planned (he really wanted to sleep with Felicity, there was no way to deny that), he wasn't complaining at all – besides the encounter with her best friend Caitlin. He really needed to do something about that, but right now, he was just relaxed and well spent and waited for Felicity to return from the bathroom so they both could get a decent amount of sleep.

When Felicity returned from the bathroom he could see her wearing new sleep shorts and a different tank top, holding a warm washcloth in hand.  
"Just in case you'd need it" she grinned before throwing it in his direction – or at least where she assumed Oliver would lay. When the washcloth hit the nightstand and kicked over one of the lamps, Felicity's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Ooops."  
Oliver burst out laughing. The washcloth slid down the wall and landed next to the night lamp on the ground.

"I should have known, I'm terrible at aiming even when I still had my eyesight. Actually, the more that I think of it, I'm surprised I didn't kill you!" she laughed when she hopped into bed next to him. Oliver threw the washcloth into the laundry basket on the other side of the room and put the night lamp back in place before he snuggled into Felicity and peppered her head with kisses.

"You're absolutely beautiful, have I told you that lately?" he mumbled into her hair.  
"Not recently, no." she smiled and pressed her face deeper into his chest, letting his steady heartbeat lull her into sleep. Oliver drifted off shortly after her.

It was two hours later that the sound of a door closing and someone moving around the living room woke Oliver up. He listened closely to make out any sounds, even though he believed it was only Caitlin. A quick look at his phone told him that it was after 1am already. When he slowly got up out of bed and gave Felicity a quick kiss, he put on some sweatpants and a T-Shirt before he made his way to the door. Before he opened it, Oliver quickly looked back to the bed where Felicity lay fast asleep, her hand firmly tucked under the pillow. Oliver couldn't do anything but smile at the sight in front of him. He was happy. Things were going great with Felicity and he was glad about it. There was just that thing with his best friend that needed to be fixed. Which was why Oliver slowly opened the door and peeked out into the hallway of Caitlin's Apartment. When he saw her leaving the kitchen with a glass of red wine, making a beeline for the couch, Oliver silently stepped out of the guest room and closed the door behind him to not wake Felicity up. He didn't know when he would have another chance to talk to Caitlin alone, so he needed to give it a try now.

When he arrived in the living room, he stopped and waited for Caitlin to notice him and turn around. She didn't, so Oliver spoke up.  
"Hey."

Oliver's voice made Caitlin jump from the couch, almost spilling her wine on the carpet. When she realized it was Oliver, she plopped back on the couch with an annoyed huff.

"Just got back?"

"Mhm." Caitlin mumbled while sipping on her drink before she started zapping through the TV channels. When nothing interesting popped up, she turned the TV down again. Oliver slowly made his way to the couch but stopped a few feet from it, hesitantly.

"Can we talk?" he asked nervously and Caitlin just eyed him over her wine glass before she exhaled loudly and waved her hand for him to sit on the couch. When Oliver took a seat opposite of her, Caitlin got a good look at him for the first time that night.  
"Can't sleep?" she asked in a very uninterested tone.

"Yeah, but it's not the bed. It's very comfy, actually. I just heard you coming back. Guess I'm not used to sounds in the house at night." Oliver tried to sound as casual as possible, even though his palms were sweaty and his mind was racing. If he messed that up now, he wasn't sure if there would be another chance to talk to Caitlin.  
Caitlin got up from the couch and waved her empty glass in his direction.

"Want one as well?" she asked him before patting into the kitchen.

"No thank you. Unless you have Scotch or something?" he asked her.

"Left drawer, bottom shelf. There should some glasses as well." she gestured to the cabinet behind the couch and Oliver quickly started looking for the bottle. When he poured himself a drink, Caitlin got back to the couch and took a seat, her refilled wine glass firmly in hand.

"So…?" she started after taking a sip of her wine and putting it on the table in front of her.

Oliver rubbed his palm on his sweatpants and downed the Whisky in one gulp before he set the glass on the table and poured himself another drink. He took a deep breath and looked up to see Caitlin watching him.  
"I think you got a very bad first impression of me." he started, trying not to sound as nervous as he actually was.

"Well, that's one way to put it." Caitlin huffed a laugh and cocked her eyebrow slightly.

Oliver leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, I don't want to talk you into liking me or something. The thing is, you're Felicity's best friend. And I really care for her." Caitlin laughed ironically at that.  
"I really do. I may not have been like that a few years back and I totally understand that you may have reservations about me – "

"Reservations?" Caitlin's eyebrows shot up while Oliver spoke.

"I'm not having reservations - I just don't like you." She flat out told him.  
"I don't like what you did to my sister and I sure don't want Felicity to end up the same way. I'm sure you'll understand my point." she crossed her arms and leaned back into the couch while she spoke. Oliver was already starting to become desperate. He never had to have such a conversation before and didn't know what to say to make Felicity's best friend believe in his honest motives when it came to her.

"I totally get that. And I'm sorry what I did to your sister, I truly am. But this has been years ago. I was reckless and didn't care about anything back then. But I'm not like that anymore, I swear. Especially not with Felicity. She told me a bit about her last relationship in Marbella and I would never hurt her. I would have never agreed to visit her in the first place if she was just a vacation-hookup or weekend-only thing for me. But this woman?" he said while he gestured to the guest room door with his thumb, "I'm slowly falling in love with her and I know we can't make it work if her best friend doesn't approve of me."  
Oliver sighed deeply, sinking back into the chair. His honesty surprised himselfbut it was the truth. He was already falling in love with Felicity. And speaking it out loud actually made him realize that for the first time.

Caitlin carefully watched him all the time, keeping her face free of any emotion. After a while she rolled her eyes and took the wine glass from the table in front of her.  
"Ahh, whatever. I guess everyone deserves a second chance." she shrugged with a slight smile before moving her wine glass in Oliver's direction, gesturing for him to pick his Whisky tumbler up and clink glasses with her. It took Oliver a few seconds to process what Caitlin just told him before he quickly grabbed his glass from the table and moved it in her direction.

"To a fresh new start." he said and gave Caitlin an honest smile.

"Hopefully a better one like the last time." she joked and clinked her glass with Oliver's with what seemed to be an honest smile on her face.

"Uhm…"  
A voice startled them both. Caitlin and Oliver turned their heads around to the hallway where the sudden voice came from.  
Felicity stood there, arms crossed in front of her, a clearly confused look on her face.  
"What is going on here?"


	11. new friends

Oliver quickly got up from the Couch, making his way to Felicity. When she didn't move a muscle, he tried taking her hand in his but Felicity pulled back immediately.  
"What were you guys talking about?"

Oliver looked at Caitlin who also got up from the couch after putting her wine glass down. Oliver didn't know what to say and guessing from the look on Caitlin's face, she didn't know either. When he took a deep breath, he tried taking Felicity's hand in his once more while he spoke to her.

"Why don't you sit down with us and I'll explain everything?" Oliver tried to sound as calm as possible even though his mind was racing at that moment.  
Felicity took a few steps forward and followed Oliver to the couch before she took a seat next to Caitlin.  
"So, what were you guys talking about? You two know each other already, don't you?"

Caitlin remained silent but Oliver quickly replied.  
"Yes. - I mean, no! Not personally. Apparently I 'met' Caitlin's little sister a few years ago after a game that we won against the Anaheim Angels."

"Wait, you know Becky?" Felicity raised her hand and stopped him in surprise.

"Yeah well that's one way to put it." Caitlin laughed into her wine glass before taking a sip. Felicity's head shot around at her statement but she didn't ask for an explanation from her best friend.

Oliver rubbed his palms on his sweatpants and inhaled deeply. He didn't know how to say what happened as casually as possible so Felicity wouldn't get mad with him.  
"He slept with Becky at that Party after he boozed her up and then dumped her!" Caitlin blurted out and both Felicity and Oliver turned their heads to look at her in surprise. Well, Oliver looked more shocked than surprised, but part of him was happy that the truth was out now, even if this wasn't actually the way he would have said it.

Felicity looked between Caitlin and Oliver several times with raised eyebrows before she burst out laughing.

Caitlin and Oliver shared a very confused look when Felicity fell backwards on the couch and held her stomach while she kept on laughing. Tears started pricking at the corner of her eyes and she just couldn't stop herself.  
It took her several more minutes to calm down. From her left, Oliver handed her a tissue to dry her tears and from her right, Caitlin shoved her glass of wine into Felicity's hand so she could take a sip.  
After she emptied the glass in two long gulps, she put it back on the table and wiped her mouth with her palm.

She sat back up, cleared her throat and looked straight ahead.  
"So let me get this straight… you –" pointing at Oliver while she spoke, "met Caitlin's sister after that game, filled her up – _literally_ " she giggled at her innuendo, "slept with her and left like the true gentleman you were back then?" she joked and Oliver didn't know how to answer properly, so he just nodded, not registering that Felicity couldn't see him.

"Yeah well, he didn't just sleep with her, he deflowered Becky that night." Caitlin added nonchalantly while patting Felicity's shoulder when she got up from the couch to grab the wine bottle from the kitchen counter.

Oliver's head shot up in pure shock and his face went completely pale.  
"I didn't know that!"

"Yeah, I already guessed that." Caitlin cocked an eyebrow at him and Oliver exhaled deeply through the nose while he rubbed his eyes with his palms.

"Hey, it's okay. Like we said… fresh start. Just stay away from my sister as far as you can, please." Caitlin added with a grin before she emptied the bottle into her glass.

Felicity sat between the two, taking in the conversation between her best friend and the man she slowly fell for since Marbella. After she processed everything that had been said, she turned her attention to Caitlin again.  
"Was that why you've been so bitchy this morning when Oliver arrived? You recognized him!"

"I wasn't bitchy," Caitlin pouted. "Maybe a bit moody, but that's it. Of all people that you could meet on a vacation in Europe you have to bring home that one guy that has messed with my family already in the past. No offense." she laughed and waved a hand in Oliver's direction.

"None taken" he replied casually.

"I'm not going to apologize for meeting him." Felicity mocked but couldn't contain a grin that spread on her face. Caitlin bumped her shoulder at that.

"So… if everything's said and done for tonight, I would very much like to call it a day and go to bed now. I need to get up early tomorrow. There are still some people in this house who actually have a normal daytime job." Caitlin grinned at Felicity while she got up from the couch, making a beeline for the bathroom.

Felicity stood up as well, holding her hand out for Oliver. When he got up, he gently wrapped his arms around her from behind.  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. It was messing with my head and I really wanted to talk to Caitlin before I was going to tell you." he said honestly when Felicity leaned back into his chest.

"Don't worry so much about it. It's okay. I was just confused when I woke up and you weren't lying next to me. And the next thing I hear is Caitlin and you talking in the living room about a fresh new start. It confused me for a minute, that's all." she smiled and patted his arm.

What do you think, should we get back to bed as well?" Felicity smiled up at him and put her cheek on his chest while looking up at his face. "I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow and don't want us to be late or arrive there with raccoon eyes." she smiled.

"Wait, you want me to come with you to your appointment?" Oliver looked down at her in surprise.

"Sure! I mean… it's not that I have an appointment with my OB/GYN that would make it weird if I'd take you with me, so… I actually hoped you would accompany me as Caitlin has a business meeting tomorrow and can't go with me." she shrugged and smiled at him.

Oliver turned her around and suddenly grabbed her ass to lift her up into his arms, hooking her legs securely around his back.  
"I would love to go with you tomorrow." he whispered before kissing her gently. "And now let's get to bed again. We both need the sleep." he smiled at her before he started making his way to the guest room.

When they woke up the next morning, Caitlin was already off for work. Felicity was the first to wake up, again thanks to the snoring sound of the well-built man next to her. She got out of bed and hopped under the shower, taking off the walking cast for the first time since she received it the day before. The doctors told her to keep it on at all times and only to remove it for showering, even though she wasn't allowed to put any weight on the foot at all.  
Felicity tried out a few different positions to rest the foot while showering, but in the end she opted for the sitting position in the tub. That way she could keep the cast on her hand out of the tub as well. As soon as she turned on the water and let it drop on her leg for the first time in weeks, she hummed slightly at the feeling.

When she grabbed her shampoo and started washing her hair with one hand, the bathroom door opened and Felicity's head shot around in surprise.  
"Need a little help?" Oliver asked with a smirk in his raspy morning voice that Felicity grew to like so much.  
"That would be awesome," she smiled at him until she realized that Oliver actually saw her bare naked, sitting in the tub of her best friend. When a blush spread over her face, Oliver kneeled down next to the tub, taking the shampoo from her hand and gently started massaging her scalp with it.

After another heated make-out session they got out of the bathroom and made themselves ready for the day. Oliver walked to the kitchen, trying to find coffee mugs while Felicity put her walking cast back on and got dressed in a flowy multicolored sundress.  
When she emerged from the guest room, the smell of fresh brewed coffee entered her nose.

"Please tell me there's a fresh coffee waiting on the kitchen counter for me." Felicity hummed when she made her way through the hallway to the kitchen. When Oliver handed her a mug she took a sip and moaned lightly. "The best way to start the day." she smiled before she took a seat on the kitchen counter. Oliver took a seat opposite of her and just watched her smiling at him behind her sunglasses while sipping on her coffee. When he read the text on her coffee mug while she took another sip, he couldn't contain a laugh.

Felicity's face shot up at Oliver's sudden laugh.  
"What is it?" she asked him with furrowed brows.

"Your mug." he chuckled.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, putting it back down on the table, giving Oliver a confused look.

"Nothing's wrong," he chuckled. "But it says **'Queen for a day'** with a little crown on it."

Felicity looked down at the mug, even though she wasn't able to see it, looked up at Oliver again and burst out laughing. "You picked that on purpose, don't you?" she accused him and Oliver raised both his hands in defense.

"I absolutely didn't. I just picked the first two mugs that I could find… but I have to admit, it fits you." he grinned.

"Felicity Queen…" she hummed while tipping her chin with her finger, "I could work with that." she joked before another grin spread across her face.

Oliver studied the woman in front of him for a moment and tried to process what they were joking about. Were they joking? Sure they were right now, but the more Oliver thought about it, the more the idea cemented into his brain. Oliver never thought about marriage before, or having children, or an own family, for that matter. But the more he looked at the beautiful, carefree, intelligent person in front of him, the more he could see himself in the role as husband and father, even after just a few weeks of dating her.

Felicity kept talking about having _'Queen'_ as a last name and joked about drawing little crowns everywhere she had to sign something while she wildly gestured around with her hands, keeping her bright smile firmly in place.  
Oliver could just look at her, so deep in thoughts, unable to listen to her babbling.

He wondered if his mother approve of her? Or Thea? Obviously Moira and Robert had to approve of her, even though Oliver didn't care much for it, but with Queen Consolidated and his shares in the Company it would only mean trouble if Moira or Robert disapproved of his future wife.  
"Future wife" he mumbled to himself when Felicity suddenly stopped talking.

"What?"

"Hm?" Oliver asked, afraid that she might have heard him.

"You were mumbling something"

"Oh, I was just going to say that you are more than just a Queen for one day to me." he smiled while he reached over the kitchen counter to gently squeeze her hand and Felicity gave him an honest, bright smile.

"We still need to discuss the Dinner for tonight." Felicity said after a few minutes of silence. "Can you cook?" she asked him.

"No, but I'm sure I can burn your friend's kitchen to the ground in the process. Or kill us all from food poisoning." he joked and Felicity had to giggle.

"Yeah well I'm kind of unavailable to cooking right now, so I think we need to settle for take-out food tonight. Any preferences?" she asked him and Oliver shook his head.  
"No, I'm fine with whatever Caitlin and you are fine with. We could order after we got back from your appointment?" he offered and Felicity jerked up from the chair in surprise.

"Oh god, the appointment! Oliver please check the note on the fridge. What time do I have to be there?" she impatiently waggled a finger in the direction of the fridge. Oliver quickly turned around and checked the note that Caitlin sticked to the fridge door before checking his watch.

"We have to be there in 40 minutes."

Felicity sighed and plopped back into the kitchen chair before she started searching for the handle of her coffee mug again. When she took another sip, Oliver spoke up.  
"What kind of appointment is it anyways?" he asked her curiously. "I mean you just told me that it's not your OB/GYN, which I had no problem accompanying you to as well, by the way," he laughed at her and Felicity just cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I'm getting the cast on my hand removed today – hopefully." Felicity grinned while waggling the cast in his direction.

"Oh that is awesome, but isn't it a little too soon?" he asked her while putting his empty coffee mug down into the sink.

"They'll replace the cast with a lighter bandage wrap. Either way I'm just glad to finally get rid of this itchy thing." he shrugged.

Oliver called a cab and they made their way to the Doctor just in time. Oliver wasn't sure if he was allowed to follow her into the treatment room, but Felicity never let go of his hand, so he silently followed her inside and took a seat in the corner. The doctor arrived and greeted Felicity with a pat on the shoulder before he offered a hand to Oliver with a smile.

"So, Miss Smoak…" he started while putting on two gloves and looking for the scissors to cut the cast, "how are you feeling? Any problems or pain with the walking cast?"

"That thing is perfect!" she practically raved with a bright smile.

"I never knew one could miss walking around so much. Though I have to admit," she said when she turned to look in Oliver's direction with a grin," being carried around is pretty nice, too."  
The Doctor laughed when he heard Felicity speak and watched the two look at each other.

"I see." he smiled when he gently grabbed Felicity's arm and placed it on the table in front of her.

"Please don't move your hand now. I'll cut open the cast and then we'll do another x-ray to see if the bones have healed well." the Doctor explained to her and Felicity listened closely.

Once the cast had been removed, Felicity could feel the cool air touching her skin in that area for the first time in a long time. It gave her chills but she also enjoyed being freed from the itchy, heavy thing. When the Doctor returned with the x-rays and put them on the light bars to have a look at them, Oliver got up and joined him.  
Felicity just stared into her lap, trying to get back a feeling for her fingers when the Doctor turned his attention to her again.  
"Everything looks fine so far. We'll wrap the wrist in a lighter and softer bandage now for another 3 weeks. The bandage allows you to move your wrist and fingers to a certain amount which I encourage you to do, but please don't put any weight on your hand until the wrap comes off. That means no carrying around of heavy handbags, saucepots, shopping bags, and so on."  
He turned his attention to Oliver while speaking to Felicity, "besides, you seem to have a partner who likes to carry you around, so I'm sure he could handle a few bags as well." Felicity chuckled while the Doctor started wrapping her hand in an elastic compression tape.

"If everything goes well, we'll see each other in 3 weeks to remove the wrap and you should be all set then." The Doctor smiled when he got up and said his goodbyes to Felicity and Oliver.

Felicity got up and immediately wanted to grab for her handbag when Oliver beat her to it.  
"You know what the Doctor told you." he warned with a grin before he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

They left the building together and headed for the Boulevard to order food for the evening. When they stopped for a Coffee at a little Shop around the corner, Felicity gave Oliver her order and he went to the counter.  
Felicity took a seat in a booth and fumbled around with the fingers on her left hand until Oliver came back. She still needed to get a feeling again for her fingers but moving them around really helped her.

Oliver returned with two cups in his hand and took a seat opposite of Felicity. She smiled at him and grabbed the hot liquid.  
"Today is a good day," she hummed when she took a sip of her coffee. "You are here with me, my cast got removed, we're drinking coffee like a normal couple – "  
Oliver's eyes shot up at her and he realized what Felicity just said before she did.

"I, uh…" she raised her hand in a defensive gesture, "didn't mean it like THAT…" she stuttered and Oliver gently grabbed her hand with a smile.

"Felicity, it's okay." he smiled and leaned over the table to give her a sweet kiss on the lips.

"I love being a normal couple with you." he whispered before kissing her again. And again. Felicity didn't protest, she gently moved her hand around his neck and deepened the kiss. He tasted like coffee and honey and Felicity couldn't get enough of it. When Oliver pulled back for air, she blushed slightly.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he smiled at her and Felicity immediately held out her hand for him to take. They made their way back to Caitlin's apartment in record time, stumbled into the living room and fell onto the couch.

When Oliver straddled her, Felicity propped the walking cast over the back of the couch and wrapped her other leg firmly around Oliver's back. Oliver groaned when she pulled him closer to her and started kissing her neck. Felicity inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of Oliver's tongue and lips on her neck and collarbone. When she slipped her hand under his shirt and started scratching him lightly with her nails, Oliver groaned again.

"When will Caitlin be back?" he mumbled before he pulled a strap of her shirt down her arm and kissed the exposed skin.  
"At 5. What time is it?" Felicity asked, slightly out of breath.

"Oliver grabbed his phone out of his pocked and checked for the time. "4.45" he sighed and slid the phone into his back pocket again.

"Why Mister Queen, I think we need to re-schedule." Felicity giggled under him and Oliver reluctantly got up off her.

An hour after Caitlin arrived back from work, the food had been delivered. Oliver and Felicity had prepared the table on the small balcony and fitted 3 chairs in the small area. There wasn't much space, but the place looked certainly welcoming and comfy. Oliver lit some candles and placed them in the flower boxes on the parapet. Felicity opened the bottle of wine that they brought home from their shopping trip and put it aside. Caitlin took the time to take a relaxing bath and hop into some comfy sweatpants. When she got outside on the balcony, she looked slightly amazed at the sight in front of her.

"Is this going to be some weird kind of Candlelight Dinner for 3?" she asked and turned her attention to Oliver and Felicity who stood in the corner of the balcony, snuggling against each other while they waited for Caitlin to arrive.

"No, this is just a nice evening with friends, food and wine." Felicity smiled and for the first time, Caitlin could see Felicity's freshly bandage wrapped wrist.

"Oh your wrist!" she smiled and took ahold of Felicity's hand, gently stroking her fingers, "did everything go well today?"

"Yes," Felicity smiled. "The Doctor was very happy with the healing progress and said in another 3 weeks I should be as good as new again."

"That is awesome, Fee! How's the walking cast, by the way?"

"This thing is god-send! Ask Oliver, we even walked from back from the Doctor's appointment today!"  
Caitlin gave Oliver a warning look before turning her attention to Felicity again. "You shouldn't be walking so much with it the same day you get it. I'm sure that's not good." she warned her.

"Cait, it's called 'walking cast' for a reason and I am done sitting in that damn wheelchair all the time. And you've heard it – the Doctor said as long as I don't feel any pain in my foot, I can walk with it. And I'm fine." She raised her hand in assurance in Caitlin's direction, before she could voice any more concern.  
"Now, could we please sit down and eat? I'm starving!" she smiled and took a seat next to Oliver.

They ate and downed 3 bottles of wine, sharing stories about Felicity's and Caitlin's childhood with Oliver, who himself shared some embarrassing High School and College stories of his own in return. They were laughing the entire evening and when Felicity excused herself to the bathroom, Caitlin looked at Oliver after taking a sip of her wine.  
"Guess I was wrong the other day," she said and Oliver looked at her questioningly. "I was sure you were going to break Felicity's heart just like you broke my little sisters'. Seems I was wrong. You're doing good to her. I didn't expect that." She honestly told him.

"I'm doing my best." Oliver smiled at her. "And I'm really sorry about your sister."

"Sorry I yelled at you and finger-poked you yesterday." Caitlin giggled at him and Oliver couldn't contain a small laugh.

"Oh it's okay. I've been threatened worse." They both laughed when Felicity returned from the bathroom.

They spent the entire evening outside on the balcony. At some point, Oliver went inside to grab two blankets from the couch and wrapped both women in them, snuggling into Felicity in the process.

It was almost 1am when the candles were burned down and darkness slowly covered the balcony. They decided to call it a day and head to bed.  
"Breakfast on me tomorrow? I don't need to be in the office before 1pm, so we'll have plenty of time for a nice breakfast together." Caitlin offered and both Oliver and Felicity gladly accepted.

When Oliver snuggled into the bed next to Felicity, she sighed happily.  
"Today had been a great day," she smiled. "I haven't felt that happy in a long time. Normal almost."

Oliver looked up at her in confusion. "Felicity, there's nothing un-normal about you. You are probably the most normal person I have in my life right now." he smiled at her and gently cupped her cheek before he settled back into the pillow, pulling her tightly to him.

"You are amazing, Oliver, have I told you that lately?" she said with a smile and Oliver gently kissed her hair. "No, you haven't, " he smiled, "but I like to hear it. It sounds great."

After a few seconds of silence, Felicity snuggled deeper into her pillow and wrapped her hand under it, leaving a sigh.  
"Felicity, I can hear you thinking. What's wrong?" he asked her, gently kissing her hair.

It took Felicity a few seconds to reply. She was amazed that Oliver was so attentive and could read her like that. Or maybe she was just very obvious.  
"I'm scared," she whispered after a few seconds, barely audible even for her own ears. His head shot up at that, unsure if her heard her right.

"About what?" he asked, gently patting her hair.

Felicity took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she should tell him. Too afraid she might scare him away with her confession, she just shook her head and buried it deeper in the pillow.  
Oliver gently grabbed her chin and turned her head so he could face her.  
"Tell me." he said with a firm, but assuring voice and Felicity let inhaled deeply, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

"Falling in love with you and having my heart broken again." she admitted in a whisper.

"Hey," he said, turning her on her back, towering over her, "I would never hurt you, Felicity. I would never break your heart. And I don't want you to be scared to fall in love with me, because…" he hesitated and for the first time, Felicity looked up at him, curious to what he could say. "…because I'm already falling in love with you too." he admitted and tried to read anything on Felicity's face.

He was scared to admit it even after he admitted it to Caitlin the other night. But after hearing Felicity voicing her concerns, he couldn't hold it back any longer. When Felicity's face broke into the biggest smile he had ever seen, Oliver let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her passionately.

When Felicity broke the kiss to get some air, she ran her hand through his hair and over his cheek, the scruff on his face tickling her palm.  
She could feel her heart make a jump. "God, what are you doing to me?" she whispered and tried to force her eyes to work, at least for a second, without any luck.  
When Oliver got off from her and laid on his side next to her, she nuzzled into his chest.  
"Please never go away." She whispered into his chest, half asleep.

"Never." he promised her with a kiss and pulled her into his body before sleep overtook them both.

The next two days they spent a lot of time outside, exploring Los Angeles. Felicity took him to all the places she knew and loved and Oliver took her for a walk up the Hollywood Hills until her feet started to hurt. He carried her the entire way back down and relaxed on the couch with her and Caitlin in the evening. When Ronnie came to pick Caitlin up for another Date, both Oliver and Felicity smiled at her and wished her a great time. They snuggled into the couch with another glass of wine and spent the rest of the evening talking about Starling City and all the places Oliver wanted to show her.

Felicity knew he would have to fly back home the next morning, so they already made plans for their next visit.

Felicity told Oliver about her cousin Barry who also lived in Starling City and that she planned to visit him for quite a while now. She offered to talk to Barry and arrange a visit, that way she could also spend time with Oliver. He happily accepted and already started making plans for when they could meet with Tommy and Laurel and what Restaurants to visit. Felicity just grinned at his enthusiastic behavior, happy that she wasn't the only one who felt like this.

When Oliver flew back home the next day, Felicity didn't shed a tear. She smiled at him, knowing they would see each other again very soon. Oliver never wanted to break the kiss, trying to take her with him for as long as he could. When he reached the Security Check though, they finally had to part ways.

"We'll see each other again very soon." she smiled at him and Oliver gave her another passionate kiss before he turned to Caitlin and offered her a hand. "Please take good care of her." he smiled at her.

"Always." Caitlin replied and wrapped an arm around her best friend after shaking Oliver's hand with a smile.

On his flight back Oliver thought about the last 3 days he had spent with Felicity and Caitlin. The way he flew to Los Angeles with the intentions to meet Felicity's best friend and charm her with his typical behavior. The way everything went quite different than he had planned it in his head. The way he almost messed it up with her best friend. The way Felicity's laughs and smiles warmed his heart. The way being with her just felt right. The way Felicity told him she's falling in love with him.

At that, he recalled the conversation he had with Tommy about his intentions with her. His best friend had a point, Oliver knew that, and even though he didn't want to admit it, it got stuck in his mind until now.

Now, after having spent 3 amazing days with Felicity in her _'normal habitat'_ as she liked to call it, he was 100% sure though, that Tommy's concerns were arbitrary. He wasn't just feeling protective of Felicity; he was falling in love with her – faster than he's ever fallen in love before.


	12. Mama knows best

Notes: I was struggling with this Chapter - a LOT! I have it finished for weeks now, but edited it 3 times now - and I'm still not 100% happy with it. But changing it again and again won't solve the problem I guess, plus it holds me back from writing on other Chapters. So I decided to just post it. It's not my best Chapter, so please bear with me.

Oliver didn't have much time to wallow in memories of his weekend with Felicity because Training was on his plan again. John Diggle, his personal coach and physical therapist called him early on Sunday evening, letting him know the new Training schedule and that he expected him to be on time. Apparently the new Sponsor wanted to have a Look at the Team and it wouldn't make a good first impression if their Star - Quarterback was late.

Over the next 3 weeks, the Training Sessions were very refreshing to Oliver, he was glad to be finally out in the field again, able to play; even if it was just for training purposes. But with a new Sponsor in the loop, chances were good the Starling Archers could finally play in the League again soon.

Training also kept him occupied so he didn't have much time to miss Felicity. They still talked on the phone at least twice a day, and one time she even spoke to Tommy when he snatched the phone from Oliver's bag while he was in the bathroom and she tried to call him.  
But every night when he went to bed alone, he missed her presence nonetheless.

When Felicity announced she would be coming to Starling City the following week, Oliver couldn't hide his excitement. Even his team members recognized the change in him and started to bug him with questions. Oliver never replied to any of them, he just grinned like a schoolboy and left the room.

Felicity told him she had another last-minute Doctor's appointment that she had to take but after that she would get everything ready to fly over to Starling City and visit him – and her cousin Barry, of course.

The day the Doctor's appointment came up, Felicity didn't have much time to wonder why the Doctor would want to see her so out of the blue, as the next appointment was scheduled for early next month – and that was still over 3 weeks away. Maybe something about a new eye treatment had come up that the Doctor wanted to talk with her about, she thought.  
Just when she was getting herself ready for the appointment, a loud knocking on her door pulled her out of her thoughts.  
Before Felicity could reply, the door swung open and a person marched into the room, squealing and wrapping her arms around Felicity, who stood in the middle of her guest room, barely dressed in underwear, completely dumbfounded.  
"Mom?" she asked in confusion while her mother kept hugging her tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Sweetie, I'm coming with you to your appointment today! You never tell me anything about your recovery and I barely get to see you these days, so I took the day off and came here!" Donna squealed and yelled in excitement. Felicity just stood there and didn't move a muscle.

"You look lovely but did you gain some weight?" Donna pinched her in the hip and Felicity shoved her hand away in surprise. "Seems Caitlin is feeding you a little too well!" she laughed while looking at Caitlin who leaned in the doorway with raised eyebrows. Caitlin knew Felicity's mom all too well by now but Donna still managed to make Caitlin shake her head at times.  
"And now hurry up, we're already running late." Donna shooed Felicity back to the closet before making her way to the door again. Felicity stepped forward, completely dumbfounded and caught off-guard by the sudden visit of her mother and the fact that she wanted to go to a Doctor's appointment with her.

"Wait!" Felicity turned around with a raised finger and Donna stopped at the door, "How do you know about the appointment today? Not even Caitlin knew – heck, not even I knew until 2 days ago!"

Donna laughed slightly. "It's because I made the appointment with your Doctor, honey! And now get yourself ready. We don't want to be running late!"  
With that, Donna stormed out of the room just like she stormed in a few minutes ago, the clicking of her High Heels signaling Felicity that she must have settled in the kitchen or on the couch.

Felicity stared ahead, completely confused. She had already called a cab to pick her up for the appointment and everything was set, but she sure didn't think her mother would accompany her, let alone even arrange that appointment.

"I swear I didn't know she was coming." Caitlin whispered apologetic and Felicity jerked around in surprise to her friend standing in the doorway of her room.

"I' sure you know I would have killed you if you did." Felicity gave her a tight smile. "Could you help me pick a dress maybe? I at least don't want to look like shit if I have to go to my own execution today" Felicity sighed and Caitlin gave her a supportive smile and pat on the shoulder.

"Would you want me to come with you? I mean, I would have to move around some meetings for today, but I'm sure I could stay away from the office for an hour." Caitlin offered while she rummaged through the dresses and skirts Felicity had in the closet.

"Oh no it's okay. I mean, it's not the first time I have to grapple with my Mom over something, so I'm sure I'll manage. Guess she just wants to hear from the Doctor if there's any news on my eye condition." she shrugged.

When Caitlin pulled out a light blue flowy sundress with small shoulder straps, she grinned confidently at her best friend.  
"I found the perfect dress!" Caitlin announced. "it's the sky blue one that I forced you to buy when we were in Vegas, remember?"

"Of course I remember, that weekend was EPIC! The _'Hangover'_ movies had nothing on us!" Felicity laughed while Caitlin helped her into the dress and closed the zipper.

Just when there was a knock on the Apartment door, Felicity emerged from the guest room, dressed in the Sundress and a Ballerina flat to match with her walking cast. Donna quickly opened the door, took Felicity's arm and helped her out of the building and into the cab. They rode to the appointment almost in complete silence besides some shallow conversations about her new walking cast and bandage wrap.

"Miss Smoak, so nice to see you!" the Doctor greeted her as soon as both Felicity and Donna entered the office, "However I must say I was a bit surprised to see you on my schedule for today. Wasn't our next appointment in 3 weeks, earliest?"

"Well I'm just as surprised as you are. Obviously my mother," gesturing to her left where Donna had taken a seat next to her, "arranged that appointment. I didn't know until yesterday either."

"So, what is this appointment about then, if I may ask?" the Doctor turned his attention to Felicity's mother.

Donna gave him a bright smile before she spoke,  
"I'd like you to check on my daughter's current eye condition again. It has been weeks since the accident and with the unsuccessful trip to Europe and no updates about the healing process whatsoever, I'd like to make sure my daughter gets the best treatment possible."

"Miss Smoak, I can assure you that your daughter is in the best hands here."

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. It's just that I'd like to have her checked up again now to hear it myself. And if there's still no improvement of her condition compared to several weeks ago, I'd like to speak about possible other options as well." Donna spoke with a firm voice and Felicity's head shot up at that statement.

"Like what?" she asked her mother, clearly confused.

"Discussing the fact that your eyesight might never come back, honey. And in that case, taking precautions for the future." Donna told her in a calm tone while she placed her hand over Felicity's in her lap.

"Precautions?" Felicity asked. It wasn't her to throw these one-liners at people, but her mother caught her completely off guard.

"Yes. Like registering you at a Blind School, for example. These things need to be discussed, the sooner the better."

"Excuse me?" Felicity yelled at her mother, a little louder than necessary.

"Honey, I'm just trying to help you preparing for the possibility that your eyesight might stay away permanently. I'm just trying to help you become a little more independent in the future, should your eyesight never come back." Donna tried to sound apologetic, but the choice of words just made Felicity more furious. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her mother.

"A little more independent? Are you kidding me?" she shot at her mother, pushing away Donnas hand that still rested on hers in her lap, anger slowly building up in her body.

Donna looked at her with worried expression. "Honey, all I'm asking is for you to consider the possibility that your eyesight might be damaged permanently. And in that case, we need to take precautions so you can live as independent as possible. That's why we're here, so we can discuss these possibilities with your Doctor." Donna smiled.

The Doctor kept silent during the entire conversation, not wanting to bother the two women. He was ready to make a comment when one of them asked him to.

"Oh I'm sorry if I'm such a disappointment to you and I'm sorry I'm obviously not the daughter you wished for but things don't always go your way, Mom!" Felicity yelled.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should realize that there's a possibility your eyes will stay like that. And if they do, you should think about giving it a try with the blind school. It can't hurt to try and I'm sure it'll come in handy, right?" Donna turned her attention to Felicity's Doctor with a smile, encouraging him to agree with her.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows slightly and thought about it for a second.  
"Well it certainly would help improving your everyday life – situations. You wouldn't have to ask for company if you want to go out any more, for example." he suggested, but Felicity just kept a blank face, silently taking in what her mother and her Doctor were telling her.  
Donna smiled at her and tried to grab Felicity's hand out of her lap again, when Felicity just shot her a warning look.

This entire situation gave her a major headache already. She didn't want to hear any of that; she didn't want to talk about the possibility of staying permanently blind or visiting a blind school, for that matter. She didn't even want to be here in the first place, fewest of all with her mother.  
It all sounded perfectly fine in her head – the way she already planned the next months.

 _Being temporarily blind didn't bother Felicity any more as much as it did a few weeks ago, after she woke up in the hospital when darkness surrounded her. It still felt weird waking up in the morning, opening her eyes to darkness around her, but she became used to it and the sounds of birds chirping outside or feeling the morning sun warming her skin made her accept her current situation a lot better in the mornings._

 _She even felt her other senses become more prominent and things she never paid any attention to suddenly became her constant companion during the day._  
 _Everything tasted differently; she realized that pretty quickly after she woke up in the hospital. During her first meal there she yelled at the nurse that something was wrong with her so-called Strawberry Jell-O because it tasted different than the Jell-O she was used to._

 _After that it had been pretty much every food she ate that put her tasting senses on fire. Felicity quickly found out what foods she loved and which she didn't love – and Caitlin was surprised how much that differed from the old Felicity._  
 _When it came to wine, though, Felicity was quite happy that she still loved the same brands she always loved. Everything just tasted so much better and more intense. Caitlin loved to call it a 'food-gasm' every time Felicity put something in her mouth and then hummed and moaned slightly at the taste._

 _One night Caitlin asked her if life had become any different to Felicity now that everything was black around her. But Felicity just smiled and assured her that whenever something different happened or Felicity was caught off guard in a situation, she remembered herself that the blindness would be gone soon, and everything in her life would go back to normal again. For the moment she just lived her life with a little obstacle that would be gone, soon._

 _Caitlin told her she was proud of her best friend and amazed at the strength that Felicity had about her situation. And at the end of the conversation, Caitlin said something that burned into Felicity's mind._  
 _"Never let go of your positive attitude, Fee. It's scientifically proven that positive thinking improves your overall health. I must know. I'm a scientist."_

 _So that's what she did. Thinking positive, believing in a good outcome of this, meaning getting her eyesight back within a few months, getting rid of the casts and being able to start a new life, soon. That's what she held onto all these weeks since the accident._

The situation was getting ridiculous. Felicity kept her mouth shut the entire time and let her mother be, to avoid any more discussions, but this was too much. Everything was slipping out of her hands and Felicity sure wasn't going to accept that.

After a few seconds of silence, Felicity balled her fists in her lap and took a deep breath before looking up and starting to speak to her mother and the Doctor.  
"For the record, I am NOT going to a blind school," she said with a firm voice that left no room for objection. "I am NOT going to learn Braille just so you won't have to bother yourself reading me a Menu at a restaurant," she turned her attention to her mother, lifting a warning finger in her direction.  
"I am NOT going to learn walking around with a blindman's stick or dog or whatever just to make you feel a little less guilty about me. This is NOT a permanent blindness and I am not some kind of handicapped damsel in distress so would you PLEASE stop making decisions for me, Mom? It's not that you cared when I was younger so please don't bother yourself to do so now. I got everything under control just fine." Felicity was glaring at her mother.

Donna sat next to her, completely dumbfounded. It took her several seconds to process what her daughter just told her before she spoke up again.  
"Do you really think I'm doing this for myself?"

"Well yes, actually I do!" Felicity yelled back before she crossed her arms over her chest. "It wasn't me who made this appointment, it wasn't me who suggested blind school, it wasn't me started talking about permanent blindness so yes, I do think you're doing this for yourself because you sure as hell didn't ask me about any of these things before you made up your mind about them!" Felicity didn't back down. She wasn't going to let her mother take away the positivity that kept her going all these weeks, no matter if Donna had a point or not.

"You need to find a job at some point, have you ever thought about that? How do you think you can do that if you refuse to accustom to your condition at least a bit?" Donna's voice sounding more irritated now.

"Well my brain is still working just fine Mom, thank you very much! And it's not that I have to run around in 3 inch heels, serving Drinks to some rich people so I'm pretty sure I'll manage." she spat at her mother. "Besides, I don't think it's any of your business how I choose to spend my days, or my savings, for that matter."

"What about Caitlin? Do you plan to live on her couch for the rest of your life, depending on her help?"

Felicity let out an angry laugh and shook her head in disbelief. This was becoming absolutely ridiculous.  
"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you Mom, but Caitlin actually is the best friend I could ever ask for and unlike you, she supports and motivates me as good as she can. In fact, Caitlin would never have the guts and arrange an appointment with my Doctor behind my back to talk me into some stuff that I won't be doing!" she spat at her before she grabbed for her handbag that sat on the floor next to her. "And this conversation is now over," she said before grabbing her phone, ordering it to call Caitlin.

While the phone dialed, Felicity turned her face to her Doctor.  
"I'm sorry you had to witness that and I'm sorry if we wasted your time. I'll see you for the next appointment in 3 weeks." Felicity said before she got up, grabbed her handbag and feeled her way through the room, to the door behind them. Donna sent an apologetic smile to the Doctor before she got up as well and followed her daughter outside.

"Caitlin, could you pick me up from the Doctor or should I call a cab?"  
Donna just stared at her daughter while she spoke on the phone.  
Caitlin agreed to pick Felicity up from the Doctor on her way to work and Felicity was relieved she didn't have to call a cab and possibly have to share it with her mother. Donna was the last person she was interested to spend any more time with right now.

"Honey – "  
At Donna's approach, Felicity shot around to face her mother before she steadied herself with a hand on the wall.  
"WHAT do you think you are doing?" Felicity yelled at her, not caring for other patients who might hear them in the hallway. "It is MY decision how I handle my treatments, it is MY decision whether or not I consider blind school in the future and if you want to know anything about my healing process, you can damn-fine ask me! This is my life and you don't get to make any decisions for me, not any more, Mom!" Felicity took a step back and inhaled deeply, anger radiating from her.

Before Donna could open her mouth to respond, Felicity continued her angry ramble.  
"I never judged you when you decided to start working at that shady Nightclub, or started dating that idiot of a Broker that ran off with all our savings, or when you forced me to move around with you every few months. Hell I even supported you as good as I could! So I'm asking you now… why the hell can't you support me that one time when I could actually need it? But no, instead of supporting me you make an appointment behind my back and try to convince me and talk me into stuff. That's just the support I need Mom, thank you!" Felicity sighed ironically. She was exhausted and tired of hearing any apology from her mother.

Donna stared at her daughter, at a loss for words. She knew Felicity wouldn't be happy about that behind-her-back appointment, but Donna didn't expect her daughter to react like that.  
"Caitlin will pick me up any minute, so please call yourself a cab. I'm sure you'll understand I'm not in the mood to have any more conversation for the moment. I'll call you if there's anything new." Felicity told her and started walking to the Exit, steadying herself on the handrail on the wall that led out of the Hallway. She just wanted to get away from her mother, as far as possible right now.  
Caitlin picked her up a few minutes later and gave Donna an apologetic smile before she left the building with her and walked her to her car.

That night, Felicity cried for the first time since her accident.

After a long and tiring day, she skipped dinner with Caitlin and told her she'd go to bed early. Felicity wasn't in the mood to talk anymore after the incident at her Doctor's and the look on her face let Caitlin know that she probably wasn't interested in eating either. Caitlin gave her an apologetic look but didn't want to push the topic, so instead she just hugged her best friend and told her to knock on her door if anything's wrong or if she just wanted to talk.  
Once Felicity closed the guest room door behind her and sank down on the bed, the first tears started to fall silently.

She didn't want to admit that what her mother and the Doctor said was true. There was a decent chance that her eyesight might never come back. She just refused to accept that, she tried to cling to the positive thoughts and hope that helped her through all the past weeks. When the thought crossed her that she may have been in denial all the time, not seeing the true reality, picturing everything a little too good to be true, she couldn't hold back the sobs any more that left her mouth while tears streamed down her face. Every emotion, every flicker of a doubt that she pushed away the past weeks came up in that moment and Felicity couldn't do anything but cry, the anger and stress of the day slowly starting to leave her body, making her shake uncontrollably.

Caitlin sat in the living room, going through work documents when she heard the first silent sobs coming from Felicity's room. She put the pen aside and silently made her way through the hallway to the guest room. The closer she got, the louder Felicity's sobs became and for a moment Caitlin wasn't sure what she should do. She hadn't seen her best friend like that since the break-up with Cooper and even then Felicity was the one to seek support from her best friend.  
Now Felicity sat crying in Caitlin's guest room after she signaled her she wasn't interested in talking at all.  
Before Caitlin could knock, Felicity's cries became louder and it sounded like her best friend was drifting straight to a full break down.  
Without giving it a second thought, Caitlin walked back to the kitchen, grabbed her phone and started dialing.

"Hello?"

"Hey Oliver, it's Caitlin."

"Caitlin, hi! Is everything okay?" Oliver's voice tensed immediately. Caitlin couldn't blame him; she had never called him before so he had a good reason to get suspicious.

"Uhm, it's about Felicity," she started but Oliver cut her off.  
"Is everything okay with her? Where is she?"

"She's here with me. Listen, something happened. All I know is she went to a Doctor's appointment with her Mom today and called me to pick her up afterwards. She didn't say a word, skipped dinner and went straight for her room. And now she's crying for almost 30 minutes and it's getting worse. I'm really worried but I didn't know who else to call besides her Mom. And after Donna had been with her during the appointment, I doubt it would be the best idea to call her now. I know it's sudden, but… could you come over?"

Caitlin could hear Oliver inhale and groan deeply. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke up.  
"Do you know what happened? Have you tried speaking to her?"

"I tried to when I picked her up because she seemed so upset on the phone, but she didn't want to talk about it. Her Mom was still there but I didn't want to leave Felicity waiting, so I didn't talk to her any more but… I haven't seen Fee like that since the thing with her Ex, Oliver… I thought she was fine, until I heard her sobbing in her room and now she's throwing a full crying fit and I honestly have no idea what to do." Caitlin rubbed her forehead while she spoke, always keeping a close eye on the sounds coming from the guest room.

She could hear Oliver moving around with the phone in hand until she heard a car door click shut and an engine being started.  
"I'll be there in 2 hours. Please keep an eye on her, try to comfort her but don't tell her I'm coming over. It would only stress her out; she knows I'm having an important Sponsor Training tomorrow." Oliver told her while he steered his Porsche through the streets of Starling City.

Not caring for any Trainings or Meetings that he had scheduled for the next morning, Oliver immediately acted on instinct, grabbed his car keys and ran to his car. If Caitlin called him it would definitely be urgent, of that he was sure. In the short time he got to know Caitlin, she appeared like a strong woman to him that knew very well how to help Felicity solve her problems. But now that she called him, asking him for help, he knew that he needed to get there and take care of Felicity himself.

Ignoring all possible traffic laws, Oliver speeded over the freeway and made it to Los Angeles in record time. He told Caitlin to call him if things got worse with Felicity and so far he hadn't heard from her again, so he was hopeful that by the time he arrived there, Felicity would have calmed down a bit.

When he arrived at their building Complex, he parked the car and immediately got up to their Apartment. It took Caitlin only a few seconds to open after he knocked very softly, hoping Felicity wouldn't hear him. When Caitlin opened the door and bade him to come in, he immediately looked down the hall to the guest room.  
"How is she?" he asked Caitlin in a whisper.  
"She fell asleep 10 minutes ago. I went inside after I called you and brought her some tea. She looks terrible, I have no idea what happened today, though." Caitlin sighed with sagged shoulders.

Oliver made his way to the guest room and slowly opened the door. When he saw her lying on the bed, still fully dressed, he slowly entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Hey," a gentle, familiar voice and a warm hand on her shoulder rocked her out of her sleep before Felicity was pulled into an embrace. It took Felicity a few seconds to gather her surroundings before she realized who was with her.  
"Oliver? Wha – what are you doing here?" she asked with a raspy, tear – and sleep ridden voice.

"Caitlin called me. What happened?" he asked her, gently stroking her cheek, wiping the tear away that made its way down her face.

Felicity swallowed thickly before she was able to speak again.  
"Mom, she… she was here, arranged a Doctor's appointment behind my back and tried to make me believe that my eyesight probably would never come back and that I need to realize that rather sooner than later." Felicity whispered, not able to hold back new tears that ran down her face again while she spoke.  
"What if I was in denial all the time, Oliver? What if I denied myself facing the facts all these weeks? What if my Mom is right and I'll never get my eyesight back?" she sobbed and tears started to wet his shirt that she clung onto.

"Hey, hey…" he said when he took her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him while he spoke, "you're the strongest, toughest person I know. Don't let anyone take that away from you! You'll get through that – WE will get through that, together!" Oliver spoke before he gently kissed her forehead.

"You shouldn't have come here, Oliver… your Training – "  
"Felicity, you were crying and hurt, there was no other choice to make." he assured her before he pulled her tighter into his embrace.

When Caitlin softly knocked and peeked her head through the door after a few seconds, Oliver gave her a quick smile. She entered the room and took a seat on the bed next to Felicity who still sat in Oliver's lap and gently started stroking Felicity's arm.

"Are you okay?" she whispered and Felicity just shook her head no.

"Thank you for calling Oliver," Felicity replied after a while when she grabbed Caitlin's hand and squeezed it lightly, "and I'm sorry I cut you off like that earlier. But after the fight with my Mom at the Doctor's… I didn't want to speak another word and just lay down for a while. I'm sorry Cait." Felicity honestly told her and Caitlin just squeezed her hand assuringly.

 _"_ Hey it's okay. We can talk whenever you feel comfortable to." Caitlin smiled at her before she gave Oliver a quick look and mouthed a _'Thank you'_ at him. He just nodded with a tight smile.

"What are you going to do now?" Caitlin asked her.

"She's coming with me," Oliver cut her off before Felicity could reply anything. At his statement, both Caitlin and Felicity looked up at him in surprise.

"I am?" Felicity asked him with raised eyebrows.

"She is?" Caitlin added, equally confused.

"I have a Training tomorrow morning that I can't miss and there's no chance I'm leaving you here like that. So you'll come with me. At least for a few days. You can take some time off and decide what you want to do. We can even talk to a few different Doctors in Starling if you'd like to, it's your choice. And whenever you want to come back here, we'll come back. But for now, you're definitely coming with me." Oliver said with a firm tone and Felicity didn't even want to protest.

"Are you okay with that?" Oliver asked Caitlin. "I would even offer to take you as well but unfortunately, my car only has 2 seats."

"Sure… I mean… it's Felicity's decision. Thanks for the offer though, but I couldn't come with you anyway, my work schedule is pretty full for the entire week, so… guess I'll help you pack." Caitlin smiled when she took Felicity's hand in hers and dragged her out of Oliver's lap and off the bed.

On their way back to Starling City, Felicity held Oliver's hand in hers all the time. She never let go of it, not even when he had to shift gears. The aftereffects of the day and the steady hum of the engine made Felicity drift off into a deep sleep.

When they arrived in Starling City, Oliver parked the Porsche in the Underground garage and grabbed Felicity's bag out of the trunk. After he asked one of the night guards to send the luggage upstairs to his Loft, he slowly opened the passenger door, unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled Felicity out of the seat and into his arms. She didn't stir or woke up while the elevator brought them to his Floor, exhaustion of today's events taking its toll on her. When he entered his Loft and headed immediately for the bedroom, Oliver put her down and gently started waking her up.

"Hey beautiful, wake up… we're there."

After a few seconds, Felicity slowly awoke, immediately realizing the different surroundings and the soft cushions she sat on. When she looked around, trying to make out any sounds, Oliver spoke up.

"We're in my bedroom. I figured you'd prefer sleeping here than on the couch in the living room." He grinned at her when he got up from bed. When she tried to grab his wrist to stop him from leaving the room, Oliver tried to calm her down.

"I'll be back in one minute, I just need to shut down the lights and bring up your bags. Don't worry." he assured her and kissed her temple before he left the room.

Felicity leaned back into the pillows, letting out a breath. Her hands started wandering around the bed and over the nightstand next to her. She could feel Oliver's watch lying there, next to what appeared to be a Tablet, a TV remote and a picture frame. The room smelled just like Oliver and Felicity was happy to have at least one familiar scent to focus on. When she tried to step out of the bed, Felicity realized that her feet weren't touching the ground and she wondered how big the bed could be that she currently sat on. After gliding off the mattress a bit she could feel a fluffy carpet touch her foot and she slowly steadied herself. With outstretched hands she took a few tentative steps forward until her fingers hit a wall. From that, she turned to the left and slowly took a step forward, her left hand always trying to make out any objects in front of her while the right hand guided along the wall. When she reached a door frame that led to another room, she slowly took a step inside. The room smelled a lot like perfume and shower gel and Felicity guessed that this must be the en-suite bathroom.  
Just before she could continue her journey, the door behind her opened and Oliver entered the room again, her bags securely wrapped over his shoulders. When he saw her exploring his bedroom, he stopped at the door and took in the sight in front of him. The woman he was falling in love with, dressed in a cute blue sundress, hair messy from the ride to Starling City, exploring his bedroom completely on her own. He couldn't contain the bright smile that covered his face while he leaned at the doorframe with crossed arms.

"I promise you'll get the grand tour tomorrow, but now come here," Oliver grinned after he threw her bags into a corner and closed the distance to her in 2 long steps before he pulled her into an embrace.

"It's almost 1.30am and I really need to get some sleep," he murmured into her hair while he walked them to the bed before putting her down and opening the zipper of her dress. "Diggle expects me at the Field at 8am and I'm not allowed to be late."

When Felicity let out a yawn, Oliver laughed. "And it seems you're in need of a good amount of sleep just as much as I am."

"I feel like I could sleep for weeks," Felicity admitted when she undressed and slowly got under the sheets in his surprisingly comfortable and soft bed. When she felt the mattress dip next to her, she realized Oliver had settled in bed as well.

"Let's sleep now, beautiful. We'll talk later." he gently caressed her cheek before he gave her a kiss on the lips. Felicity realized she hadn't kissed Oliver at all since he arrived in Los Angeles, so she pulled him in for another sweet kiss.

When Oliver pulled her tighter to his chest and nuzzled into her hair, Felicity sighed contently.  
"I missed this." Oliver confessed with a half sleepy voice. "Falling asleep like this. With you in my arms."

"Me too." Felicity whispered before she slowly drifted off to sleep.


	13. Confessions

12k words… my god what did I do? :D  
Long Chapter. A lot of stuff (finally) happens. Isabel happens. Smut happens. Enjoy. :D Love me some Comments and Feedback! Let me know what you think! :)

The next morning came all too soon, at least for Oliver.

Felicity didn't stir; she slept peacefully next to him, curled into his sheets, a soft smile on her lips. Not even the alarm on his phone awoke her, unlike Oliver. The events of the last day really have taken a toll on her and Oliver knew she badly needed the sleep, so he got out of bed silently and used the bathroom down the hallway instead of the en-suite one, to not wake her up.

Once he got himself ready, grabbed his sports bag and gathered all the stuff he'd need for the day, he made his way downstairs and prepared Felicity a quick breakfast. Over all, she didn't know the Apartment yet and there would be no way for her to find something to eat.  
He arranged a tray of food; made her some toast and cut strawberries and apples for her. After he poured her a cup of coffee and also put it on the tray along with a bottle of water, he poured himself a cup as well. A coffee and an apple would do before the Training.

When he got upstairs, Felicity was still fast asleep. He put the tray down and slowly made his way around the bed to her side. When he gently pulled her hair out of her face and peppered her cheek with kisses, Felicity slowly woke up.  
"Hey, beautiful," he whispered into her neck between kisses, "good morning."

Felicity just hummed slightly half asleep and wrapped an arm around Olivers neck, pulling him into her chest.  
"I'll keep you." she mumbled before drifting off again and Oliver actually had to chuckle at that.

"I'm all yours – after my Training," he smiled at her and tried to free himself from Felicity's grip, resulting in her tightening it even more.

"Would you please let me go? This is uncomfortable," he laughed at her and Felicity just shook her head, still pretty much half asleep.

"Nope, you're staying with me." she mumbled.

"I made coffee," he grinned at her, trying to sneak out of her death grip. At that, Felicity slowly lifted her head off the pillow, eyes blinking slightly. Oliver took the moment to free himself from her arms and sat down on the edge of the mattress. After she sat up, yawning and stretching like a cat, she turned her face into the room and sniffed twice.  
"I can't smell anything." she wondered.

"It's because the kitchen with the coffee roaster is downstairs."

"Downstairs?" she looked at him with confusion, trying to tame her messy curls with her fingers.

"Yeah, like a 2-story Apartment." Oliver chuckled. "You know, kitchen and living room downstairs, bedroom and bathroom upstairs…"

She quirked an eyebrow at him while he spoke. "I know what a 2-story-Apartment is, idiot. I just didn't know you lived in one." she shrugged and yawned again.

"As much as I would love to stay with you right now, but I really need to leave for Training soon. BUT…" he got up from the bed and walked around to the other side to pick up the tray, "I brought you breakfast." he proudly announced.  
Oliver placed the tray over her legs and Felicity immediately started fishing for a coffee mug. When she got ahold of it, she took a sip and hummed slightly at the taste.  
"I will be gone for 3-4 hours. I'll try and come home as soon as possible. Your phone is on the nightstand next to you, if anything's wrong, you call me!" Oliver warned her with a serious tone, "The bathroom is to your right side, you basically just need to take 4 steps forward. Don't worry, there's nothing that you could trip over, I already took care of that. Would you want me to show you the room quickly?"

"Oh no no, I think I'll manage." she smiled at him, waving in the direction of the bathroom.  
When Oliver handed her the remote for the TV, she got a confused look on her face.  
"I know you're not into watching TV, but I figured you could listen to a Radio Station if you get too bored? The round button in the middle turns the TV on, and by pushing down you can switch between the Radio channels. The TV is right in front of you." he smiled at her.

"There's Toast, some fruits and a bottle of water on the tray. Would you need anything else?"

"No no, I'm fine. Thanks, Oliver. For everything." she gave him an honest smile and Oliver crawled on the bed to give her a sweet quick kiss.

"Anything for you." he whispered between kisses.  
After a few seconds, Oliver pulled back reluctantly and got off the bed, grabbing his bag and made his way to the door when he quickly turned around once more.  
"Just please watch out if you leave the room, the stairwell is right opposite of this bedroom. I don't want you to fall down there." he told her with a slightly worried tone.  
"I won't leave the room until you're back, promised." she smiled at him before she placed the mug back on the tray and fumbled for a piece of toast. "I think I'll just sleep some more after my delicious breakfast." she said and took a bite of her toast.

Oliver stared at her for a few seconds, taking in the scene in front of him.  
Felicity, HIS Felicity, sitting on his bed, early in the morning, nibbling on some toast that he made her. The domesticity of that situation was something he really wanted to explore more with her in the future, even though all of this was still so unlike him.

When she chuckled after she tossed over the bowl of strawberries, Oliver dropped his bags and quickly walked over to her side of the bed. He pulled her into his embrace and pressed his lips firmly on hers. Felicity responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

He tasted of toothpaste and coffee, or maybe she tasted herself on his tongue. She didn't know, and she didn't care. She just enjoyed the moment with him, until Oliver pulled away and got up from the bed again. She sighed and pouted and Oliver couldn't stop but laugh at her.  
"I love it when you have your eyes open all the time and not wear those sunshades. I love your eyes."

Felicity blushed at that.  
"Yeah, seems it's getting better. Bright lights aren't hurting my eyes that much anymore. I take that as a good sign. But now go. I don't want to be the reason you're late!" she said with a firm tone and shooed him out of his own bedroom.

"See you later, beautiful." he smiled at her when he grabbed his bag and started to head for the door once again.

"Wait, where are my bags?" he heard her call before he could make his way down the stairs. "I'm pretty sure my hair is a mess and I could definitely need a shower." She sniffed at herself and made a face.

"They're right in front of the bed. The shower is super easy to use, there's a large handle in the wall. Turn it left and the water gets warm, turn it right and it gets cold. Easy as that." he smiled at her.

"I really need to leave now," Oliver said when he checked his watch and realized he was actually almost running late.  
"Bye" he whispered and made his way out the door and down the stairs. When Felicity heard the Loft door click shut, she sank back into the pillows, her head resting on the headboard.

She started examining the tray in front of her again and when she got ahold of an apple, she quickly stuffed it in her mouth before putting the tray aside to where Oliver slept last night. She swung the sheets off and slowly slipped out of bed before taking a few steps forward. Felicity remembered the doorframe of what appeared to be the en-suite bathroom being very close to her bedside. Once she got ahold of it, she slowly pushed the door open and took a step inside. To her left she could feel a cold marble counter with a large basin. When she took a step to the right, she could feel some cold glass of what she guessed must be the shower.

As soon as she reached the toilet, she sighed happily and made a small fist pump because she needed to pee – badly.

Once back in the bedroom, she tried to locate her bags for a fresh pair of underwear and some sweatpants. She almost emptied the entire bag until she found everything she was looking for and made her way back to the bathroom, slowly getting a feel for her new surroundings. She managed to find a towel that still smelled fresh, removed her walking cast and slowly hopped into the shower. She leaned to the wall to steady herself and keep pressure away from her left foot and slowly started turning on the water until the temperature suited her.

The shower had been very relaxing and even if she wasn't able to find any of her shampoos or shower gels in her bag, she felt cleansed and revitalized. And she smelled like Oliver. Which was kind of weird, but she knew that smell, so she was okay with it.

Once she sat back in bed, she fumbled around to find the TV remote and turned the TV on. When she found a radio station that suited her, she leaned back on the bed and nibbled on another slice of apple. Relaxing into the pillow with the music filling the room silently, Felicity drifted off to sleep again.

The Training had been quite successful; the Sponsor was very pleased with the Team and quickly left the field with the Managers to discuss contracts. Oliver was happy to be out in the field again, especially with the chance to play in the League again soon.

While he got out of the shower and changed into his street clothes, his teammates discussed going out tonight to celebrate the first successful Team Training in months.  
Diggle wrapped an arm around Oliver and pulled him into his chest.  
"Drinks later at the Beer House. All of us hanging out together is long overdue!"

"Sorry, can't. But have a round on me" Oliver grinned and freed himself out of Diggle's grip.

"What up man? Don't you want to hang out with your best friends and teammates anymore?" Diggle shoulder bumped him.

"Of course, but I'm having a visitor right now and don't want to leave her waiting longer as it is today."

"Her?" Diggle grinned at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "So you're ditching us for a girl?"

"Not just a girl. And that's all I'm telling you my friend, so don't bother yourself asking." Oliver smirked at him with a wink.

"Then just bring her over! I can ask Carly and I'm sure Max and Cisco would bring their girls as well. That way I could get to meet that mysterious woman, too." Diggle grinned while stuffing his clothes into his sports bag.

"It's not that easy, Dig. I promise you'll meet her soon, but everything's still pretty fresh and it's her first day in Starling, so… I'd like to spend the day with her – alone." Oliver winked and got up from the bench, grabbed his bag and made his way to the Exit in quick steps.

"Don't forget the Conference tomorrow evening. The entire team has to be there!"  
Diggle yelled at his friend before he was out of sight.

"Text me the time again, please!" Oliver called back before the doors click shut and he was gone. Diggle just sat there and shook his head with a laugh. Seeing Oliver in such a good mood was un-usual for him. That mysterious woman obviously did things with the Starling Archers Quarterback that lifted his mood a lot, which made Diggle even more curious who that person might be.

Oliver arrived back at his Loft in record time, impatiently waiting for the elevator to open its doors and take him up to his floor. When he opened the door to his Loft and stepped inside, he could hear faint noises coming from the bedroom. So she obviously managed to turn on the TV, he thought to himself. With a smile on his lips, he took the stairs two at a time and quickly made his way upstairs to find Felicity sound asleep on the bed again. Her hair was still damp and she the room looked just like her Hotel room back in Marbella. The entire floor was covered in dresses and shirts, leaving her bag completely empty. He just shook his head with a smile at the sight in front of him – until he spotted the damp towel, resting on his side of the bed.

"That woman!" Oliver mumbled to himself when he made his way to the bed, grabbed the towel and threw it in the hamper across the room. He took the tray off the bed and gently slid in next to her.

When Felicity felt the mattress shift and felt two strong arms pulling her into a hard chest, she smiled and sighed loudly, but never opened her eyes.  
"You're back." she whispered into his chest.

"I'm back." he replied with a smile and gently kissed her head.

"You smell like me. Why do you smell like me?" Oliver asked with a grin when he sniffed her hair and recognized the smell as one of his shampoos.

"Couldn't find my shower gel." She mumbled into his chest with a slight shrug, not caring to move a muscle or open her eyes.

"That I see." Oliver chuckled while he eyed the bedroom floor, covered in her clothes. "Are you always that messy? Because if you are, we have to work on that." he laughed.

Felicity looked up at him in feigned dismay. "I'm sorry Mister, but if YOU -" poking a finger at his chest, shoving him backwards a bit, "would have packed my bags properly, that mess wouldn't have happened in the first place." she cocked an eyebrow at him with a confident grin.

Oliver couldn't hold back the surprised look and laugh at her statement.  
"Oh so it's my own fault the room looks so messy?"

"Seems I'm dating a smart boy." she grinned and squeezed his cheek and caught Oliver completely off guard at that.

"Oh wait, young Lady!" he growled with a laugh before he tackled her onto her back, pinning her arms over her head with one hand, using the other to tickle her mercilessly. Felicity couldn't stop laughing even though she couldn't move a limb under him. When tears started to prick at her eyes, she begged him to stop.  
"Please, Oliver, stop! Stop! I give up, I give up!" she laughed, trying to wiggle away from his tickle attacks.

Oliver stopped and looked down at her, using his free hand to wipe away her laugh-tears from her cheeks.  
"So you admit that you're a messy person and that it isn't my fault?"

"Well, technically – " Felicity started with a grin but when Oliver started his tickle attack once more, she surrendered. "Okay, okay, I admit. I'm a messy person." she laughed and Oliver let go of her hands and sat down next to her.  
Felicity could practically hear the grin that covered Oliver's face.

"Awesome. Since this is clarified now, we can move on to activity No.2 on the agenda for today."  
He got off the bed and pulled the sheets from her when confusion was written all over her face.  
"You'll get the grand tour of the Loft. Or do you plan on staying in my bedroom forever?" he grinned at her and Felicity immediately relaxed and slid off the mattress to get up.

"As much as I would love spending all day in your bedroom," she smirked at him, "a Tour through the Apartment sounds wonderful. Even though we haven't talked about how long I can stay?"

"You can stay as long as you want, Felicity." he smiled at her and looped her hand into his arm.

"Alright, let's do this." She smiled and waited for Oliver to take a step to the door.

"Wait, I'll go grab you some house shoes." Oliver quickly threw in and already made his way to the walk-in closet when Felicity stopped him.

"No, walking barefoot is better for me, actually. It helps me to figure out room sizes and stuff like that. I can feel when surfaces change or where carpets begin or end. Besides, I'd rather bump my toe on the couch than breaking my nose walking into a wall." she laughed.

"Well, then… Milady?" he asked and gently tugged her arm forward out into the hallway.

Together they explored the entire Loft. Oliver gave Felicity time to make out the dimensions of every room while he carefully watched her and answered every question she asked him. At some point when they explored his living room, she asked Oliver to make coffee so she could explore the living room and stairway a bit on her own. When Oliver hesitated for a moment and didn't leave her side, Felicity gently padded his hand.

"I'm not a baby, Oliver. I need to count steps and hear the echoes of the room while I walk around and for that I need to concentrate."

Oliver let go of her arm and made his way to the kitchen to get them both a cup of coffee, always keeping a close eye on Felicity. She slowly wandered around the room, deeply concentrated. Once she rounded all walls, she explored the middle of the room. Just when Oliver filled the two coffee mugs, he heard a slight thud coming from the living room. His head shot up and he saw Felicity tumbling over the backrest of his couch, her feet dangling in the air, her upper body completely hidden behind the backrest.

"Everything alright?" he asked her with a worried tone.

"Oh my god, how can this thing be so comfortable?" she raved and stroked the soft fabric of his large grey couch and Oliver couldn't hold back a grin. "Here I thought your bed was heaven, but THIS… oh my god!" she rubbed and rolled over his couch, humming deliciously.

Oliver walked over with a grin and handed her a coffee mug before he sat down next to her.  
After taking a sip and relaxing into the couch, watching her, he spoke again.  
"So… do you think you'll find your way in my Apartment?"

Felicity got up from her stretching position and sat up.  
"It'll take me some more days and I'm sure I'll bump into a few things but other than that I think I'll manage." she smiled at him before taking a sip from her coffee.

"What do you think? Should we head out for lunch? I didn't have time for breakfast before Training and honestly I feel like I'm starving. And I'm sure the breakfast that I made you wasn't 'that' satisfying, either."

Felicity gave him an honest smile and leaned into his shoulder.  
"Making me breakfast was wonderful and I loved it. But you're right, lunch sounds perfect." Before Oliver could say something, she spoke again.  
"BUT – I'm not going to leave this couch!" she announced and plopped back into the cushions after putting the mug on the table in front of her.

Oliver stood in the room for a moment, grinning at her.  
"Alright, ordering in it is, then." he laughed and made his way to the kitchen to grab the Flyers for several Restaurants around the corner. "Any preferences?" he asked her, spreading out the Flyers in front of him on the table.

"Pizzaaa!" Felicity called out with a fist pump, making him laugh.

"Which one?"

"Surprise meee!" Felicity fist pumped again, waggling deeper into the soft couch cushions in the process. "As long as there are no pineapples, olives, tuna or onions on it." she waved a finger while she spoke and Oliver couldn't do anything but stare at her, gesturing around with her hand on his couch, her body completely hidden beneath the cushions.

"What about Pepperoni then?"

He didn't hear a reply, but the thumb-up that waved over from the couch signaled him that he made the right choice.

30 Minutes later they sat on the couch and shared a large Pepperoni Pizza over some Cartoons on the TV.  
"Felicity… I don't get it why you like Spongebob?! This is ridiculous." he laughed, gesturing at the TV.

"Shut up, this is funny! And you don't even have to watch it, just listening to Patrick is the best." she grinned and fumbled for another slice of Pizza.

"Do you miss it? Watching TV, I mean…" he asked hesitantly, unsure if she was comfortable to break that subject.

"There are things I miss more than watching TV, to be honest. The only Shows I like are I can get on DVD, so I'm not missing out on anything while I'm blind." she shrugged.

"What do you miss then?"

"Reading. And being able to do my job, working on a Computer. That's what I miss the most, actually." she admitted and Oliver couldn't help but frown at her statement.

"I could read you a book sometime if you'd like." he offered and Felicity smiled at him.  
"You can read? And here I thought Football Players were all just pure muscle but no school education." she giggled and Oliver gently slapped the back of her head with a laugh.  
After rubbing her head and thinking about it for a few seconds, she nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we could do that."

"So, any plans for the evening? Or do you want to keep listening to that ridiculous Cartoon all day?" Oliver laughed while stealing Pepperonis from her slice of Pizza.

"How should I have plans? You practically kidnapped me and keep me hostage in this incredible apartment with this incredible couch," she grinned. "I don't know anyone or anything in this city besides Barry, so you are the one to make plans here, Mister."

Oliver had to admit that he didn't think this through. When he drove to LA and picked Felicity up, he didn't think about how he would spend his time with her once she was in Starling City with him. And now that she sat next to him on the couch, sharing a large Pizza while they watched some Kids TV, he realized that the normal Dates that he took women to wouldn't work with Felicity.

They couldn't go to the cinema or go ice skating or Mini Golfing, simply because of her blindness. Oliver found himself once again completely out of his comfort zone with Felicity – and it didn't mind him one bit.

"Would you like to take a walk through the City? It's beautiful out there and I could show you around a bit."

"Why Mister Queen, you want to show me around?" she grinned with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well maybe I do." he grinned and got up from the couch, taking the pizza box with him.

After throwing the rest of their Pizza in the fridge and changing into some light clothes, Oliver and Felicity made their way downstairs to the parking garage. It was a sunny day in Starling City and Felicity enjoyed the sun warming her face.  
"This reminds me of Marbella, when you took me to that Zoo." Felicity said while Oliver steered the Convertible through the streets into the City.

"That was a nice day." Oliver smiled and took her hand in this, shifting gears with both hands.

"Yeah it was. I kind of miss it." she confessed.

"We could do it again sometime. We could go back there as soon as your eyesight's back!" Oliver spoke and he could immediately feel Felicity's hand tense under his. She didn't answer and Oliver caught a quick glance at her at a red light. She kept looking out the window through her sunglasses, seemingly deep in thoughts.

"Hey," Oliver squeezed her hand and tilted her head in his direction with his finger, "don't worry too much. Everything's going to be fine. If you want to we can check for Hospitals and Treatments this evening, figuring out if there's something that you might be interested in." he gently offered and Felicity gave him a forced smile. Oliver decided to drop the topic for the moment but planned to discuss it with her again later that day over a glass of wine.

They arrived at Oliver's chosen destination a few minutes later. They left the car and walked down the road and Felicity curiously looked around, trying to figure out any familiar sounds or noises.  
"Oliver, where are we?" she asked him after a while.

"We're at the City Hall Park." he replied with a smile before he pulled her away from the path onto the grass. They walked a few feet and when Oliver came to a halt and started rummaging around her, Felicity listened to him carefully.

When he saw her staring at him with a questioning face, waiting for him to say something, Oliver just smiled at her.  
"Stop staring holes into the air and sit down!" he grinned and took a seat himself.

"Onto the grass? Oliver, the dress – "

"There's a blanket."

"A blanket? Like a Picnic blanket?" she looked at him, slightly confused, but when she took off her Panda Flat, she could feel the soft fabric under her foot.

"When did you manage to pack that?" she smiled at him when she slowly sat down on the blanket and stretched her feet.

"I always have one in the car." he shrugged.

They spent the afternoon in the Park, relaxing in the sun and Oliver told her about his Training and the new Sponsor. Felicity listened carefully, always curious to hear about Oliver and his life. Oliver though completely avoided asking her questions about her treatments or healing process, even though he really wanted to discuss it with her. That would be a topic for later in the evening.

Felicity decided to call Caitlin and give her a quick update. Caitlin was happy to hear she made it safely to Starling City but told Felicity that she missed her and that Donna had called twice this morning to check on her after their fight at the Doctor's. Felicity decided to ignore her mother a little longer, not interested to have another discussion with her in the near future.

When the sun started to set and the wind picked up, they decided to head back to the car. When Oliver threw the blanket into the trunk, Felicity made her way to the passenger door.

"Hey, could we head to the City quickly? I need to pick up my new shoes." Oliver asked her.

"Uh, sure. Can we walk? Or is it too far?"

"No it's just around the corner." he told her while locking up the car and securely wrapping an arm around her. Felicity leaned her head into his shoulder and Oliver slowly guided them through the streets to the Sports Store. He quickly picked up his clothes and they made their way back outside, turning around the corner when a familiar voice called Oliver's name. When he stopped and turned around, he faced the person he wanted to see the least at that moment.

"Isabel." he spoke through gritted teeth, his grip on Felicity's shoulder tightening, half shielding her behind him and Felicity could feel him tensing up his entire body.

"Oliver. Long time no see. You never called me after you got back from Marbella." she spoke in a harsh, arrogant tone that made Felicity shiver.

"I've been busy." he answered tersely.  
Isabel eyed the woman that Oliver shielded behind him. "I see."

"What do you want, Isabel? We have somewhere else to be, actually." Oliver wasn't in the mood to talk to Isabel at all, but being out on the street with Felicity, having to face his ex-girlfriend was something he would have liked to avoid at any cost.

"You're avoiding me."

"I am NOT avoiding you, Isabel. I simply don't want to talk to you. Have a nice day." he gritted out before he grabbed Felicity's hand and started to walk them to the parked car, turning his back to Isabel. "Come on, let's go." he whispered to Felicity before he kissed her temple and started walking.

"You can't run from this forever! You know you have to make a decision, soon!" Isabel called out, following them. When she grabbed Oliver's hand to stop him, he harshly turned around, let go of Felicity's hand and took two steps forward, right into Isabel's personal space, towering over her.

"I am NOT discussing this with you right now, Isabel. NOT now and NOT here." he gritted out, waving a finger dangerously close to her face. Felicity stood a few feet behind them, taken aback by Oliver's harsh and angry tone. She never heard him say that name before, but judging from the way they were talking to each other, Felicity assumed she must be an ex of him. When she took a step back and tried to locate a wall to lean on, she tumbled over a flower pot and fell over it, landing on her butt.

When Felicity let out a gasp, Oliver's head shot around and he was by her side in a second, ignoring the looks of his ex-girlfriend.  
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked her when he crouched down and helped Felicity up on her feet again.

"Ye – yeah, nothing happened. I just tripped over my own feet." she answered, embarrassment clear in her voice while she straightened out her dress and wiped the dirt off her hand. Oliver immediately checked for her bandage-wrapped hand, but Felicity assured him she was fine.

"Since when do you work as a service dog for blind people, exactly?" Isabel suddenly spoke up behind them when Oliver started to walk them away again.

Felicity stopped in her tracks at Isabel's comment and turned around. "Excuse me?" she shot at the woman standing opposite to her, not caring if she was Oliver's ex-girlfriend or ex-neighbor or ex-whatever.

"One more word – " Oliver warned Isabel before she could say anything else.

"Then what?" she spat out.

"This conversation is now over." he warned her in a tone that left no room for objection before he made his way back to Felicity to finally leave the scene with her. Felicity wordlessly followed him, clearly shaken up by the situation a few moments ago. Oliver made his way to the car in long, fast steps and Felicity had trouble keeping up with him with her walking cast, but didn't say anything. She could feel his tenseness in his entire behavior and decided to stay silent until they were at the car. Obviously Isabel wasn't following them and she was happy about that, but they would have to have a conversation about what just happened later.

They silently got into the car and Oliver didn't say a word during the entire way home. The silence between them was almost palpable. After they were down the road a bit, Oliver chanced a glance at Felicity. Her shoulders were stiff, her posture reserved and she was rubbing the palm of her right hand, trying to soothe the pain from the fall.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that." he mumbled after a while but Felicity didn't look up from her lap.

"Who was that?" she asked tentatively.

"Can we talk about that when we're home? I don't want to talk about that in the car now." he asked her in a restrained tone, still clearly stressed and shaken up by what happened.  
Felicity didn't reply, she just nodded slightly with a tight, forced smile.

When they arrived at his Loft, Felicity silently got inside and feeled her way into the living room where she sat down on the couch. She didn't move, didn't relax into the cushions; she just sat there and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.  
Oliver took a seat next to her and placed two glasses of wine on the table. He was sure they'd need that with the upcoming conversation after what happened.  
She didn't look up when he grabbed her hand and stroked it with her palm slowly.  
After a few minutes of silence, Felicity gathered her words and spoke up.  
"She's your ex, right?"

Oliver was taken aback by her direct statement.  
"Yeah. She used to be my Manager and we were dating until a few weeks ago."

Felicity just nodded and took in what Oliver was telling her.  
"So… What was this about?"

"Hm?" Oliver looked at her, slightly confused about what she meant.

"The decision that your ex was talking about. She seemed to be very pushy about the subject…"

Oliver started shifting around next to her and Felicity immediately sensed this.  
She turned around to face him.  
"Oliver? Is there something I should know? Something about the two of you?" she asked with an alarmed, worried voice. She turned her body in his direction, facing him while she waited for a reply.

When Oliver still didn't say a word but she could hear him rub his face and exhaling loudly, Felicity got nervous.  
"I can't see your facial expressions, remember? So please TALK to me because right now, your silence is freaking me out." she admitted.

Oliver sat up on the Couch and took both her hands in his when he tried to find the right words.  
After a few moments, he spoke up in a restrained tone.  
"Felicity, you have to promise me you'll never tell anyone about this. If the Media catches wind of this, I'm ruined!" he told her and Felicity clearly could hear the stress and worry in his voice.

"You're really freaking me out now, what's wrong, Oliver? Maybe I can help?"  
He huffed a laugh and just shook his head in defeat. "No, you can't help. Just promise me to never tell anyone about this. Not even Tommy knows!"

"Of course I won't tell anyone!" she assured him and gently stroked his palm with her thumb.

"Well uhm…." Oliver rubbed his forehead to soothe the wrinkles that started to form there. He didn't know how to begin.  
He took a deep breath and cleared his throat.  
"I made a mistake a few weeks ago. I didn't think about it by the time it happened and now I have to deal with the consequences."

Felicity's expression changed from worried to confused while Oliver spoke. "You're not making any sense. What did you do?"

"Isabel, she… - before we broke up, she and I discussed an idea that she had about my career. As you know the Archers lost their Sponsor and we weren't able to play for a very long time, resulting in us dropping from the market. Some of my Team members tried to leave and move to other Teams but due to the fact that we weren't playing in the NFL anymore, no big Team was interested in them – and if they were, they offered them ridiculous contracts with only ¼ of the wage we made here. So that's when Isabel came up with that plan…" Oliver inhaled deeply and looked into his lap, where his hand rested, intertwined with hers, rubbing soothing circles over his palm.

"She was in contact with the Manager of the Coast City main Quarterback and made plans to get me under contract with them – pretty much to the same conditions as I currently am, and to make me their main QB. Apparently their own QB was investing more time in his private activities than focusing on his sport, so they tried to get rid of him and put me in his place. Isabel and I wanted to move to Coast City together anyway, starting a new life there. Everything was planned out already. But to grant me the spot – and to keep the media out of this, Isabel had to pay the Coast City Manager a huge amount of money."

"How much?" was all Felicity asked.

"300.000$. But that's not the main problem. Shortly after we agreed to that, signed the contracts with the Manager of the Coast City Falcons and paid the money, I caught her screwing her coworker in her office." Oliver's face fell as he thought about that fateful day and Felicity could hear him sigh at the end of the sentence.

"I'm so sorry," she told him in a calming voice, gently caressing his cheek, "I know how you feel."

Oliver gave her a warm smile and tucked a strain of hair behind her ear.  
"It's okay. It actually helped me realize that we weren't meant for each other. Even though I realized that the hard way. Though the real problem now was cancelling the contract. Obviously I didn't want to move to Coast City anymore and playing for the Falcons was something I would have never chosen for my career in the first place. But with Isabel it all made sense. I would have been able to play for a major League Team again and Isabel and I could have lived together. But now…"  
he sighed again and Felicity crouched over to his side, hugging him tightly.

"I still can't follow completely." Felicity admitted while she rested her head on his shoulder. "What is that decision that Isabel is talking about?"

"Well, the problem is now that I cancelled the contract after the Falcons kicked off their main QB from the Team. And now the Manager forces us to take actions because they don't have a main QB any more. I either have to pay the contractual penalty or take my rightful place in the team by the end of the month."

"I'm scared to ask but what if you choose neither of these options?"

"They threatened both Isabel and me to expose the whole story to the Media, that includes the other QB getting fired because of me and not for the reasons they told him. And that would mean Isabel could never do her job anymore and my reputation would be ruined. No NFL Team would put me under contract anymore."  
Oliver let out a deep sigh and looked down at his lap, too scared to see her reaction to what he just told her.

Felicity sat next to him, her legs draped over his lap, and tried to process everything that Oliver just told her. After a few seconds, she raised her head and put a hand on his chest, bringing some space between their heads before she spoke up.  
"How much would the contractual penalty be?"

"5 Million. And it's not that I can rob the piggy bank for that amount of money. Even with my wage I don't have that much money stored." he sighed.

"How much time do you have left until you need to make a decision?"

"Around 3 weeks. Why do you ask?"

"I need you to bring me the contract and everything that you received from that Manager of the other Team. And I need you to help me work through them. Maybe there's a way we can get you out of it." Felicity spoke with a confident tone and Oliver looked at her for a second, completely dumb-founded.

"Felicity, there isn't anything we can do, trust me. Isabel checked that contract several times. We either have to pay the fee, or they'll expose us."

"And I need you to set up an appointment with Isabel." she spoke up and Oliver's brows shot up in surprise. "I heard you on the streets, remember? And to me she didn't sound like she would be willing to wait any longer to discuss whatever she has to say with you. So it's better we get over it sooner rather than later." she gave him a reassuring smile. "And if you're okay with it, I'd like to be present when you talk to her."

If Oliver's eyebrows could have risen up higher, they would have at that moment. He looked at her, completely confused and taken aback by her confident behavior after what he just told her.  
"S – sure… but, why?"

"Oh I'd like to hear what she has to say about all this." she smiled. "Not that I don't believe you. But it's always good to hear two sides of a Story when planning to fight a contract that has been signed by multiple parties. Maybe she knows stuff you don't know yet. It could be helpful." she grinned.

"Wait, what do you mean - 'fighting a contract'? Felicity, this can't get out to the public by any chance. I don't even trust any lawyers in this. One word to the media, and I'm ruined!" he worried.

"I'm not a lawyer. And I won't tell anyone." she winked at him and Oliver still couldn't follow her but before he could say anything else, Felicity spoke up again.

"But before I can see if I can help you, I need the contracts everything else that you have from the Meetings with that people. And you need to get Isabel here!" she shooed him off the couch. Oliver got up and walked to office, still completely confused, not able to understand what was happening right now.

When he got back with the files and sat down next to her again, Felicity took the files he placed in her lap.  
"I'm going to need your help with this. You'll have to read everything to me, multiple times probably, because I can't do this on my own. But before we do this," she grabbed around Oliver and pulled his phone out of his back pocket, holding it in his direction, "call Isabel. Set up an appointment for later tonight."

Oliver took the phone after a moment of hesitation and dialed Isabel's number. She picked up after a few seconds and Felicity could hear her snotty tone coming from Oliver's phone. She just rolled her eyes at that but didn't say a word.  
Oliver set up an appointment with Isabel for 8pm that night, meeting at his Loft. He decided not to tell Isabel that Felicity would be there as well, that was something she would figure out soon enough.

Together they worked through all the contract details for several hours and Felicity listened carefully to everything Oliver read her, ordering him to write down a few short comments and important notes to a piece of paper. They were putting away all files when suddenly the doorbell rang. Oliver quickly locked up the files and led Felicity into his office, helping her into a seat next to his desk chair before he went to answer the door.

Felicity could hear Isabel talking when she entered the Loft, but she couldn't make out what Isabel was saying to Oliver. When the office door opened and Isabel stepped inside, followed by Oliver, Felicity looked up from her seat, but didn't move a muscle. She knew Isabel wasn't offering her a hand anyway, so she didn't bother in getting up either.  
"What does she want here?"

Before Oliver could say anything, Felicity spoke up.  
" _SHE_ is Oliver's girlfriend and I am here to clean up the mess that you caused!" Felicity said in a firm tone, keeping a fake smile plastered on her face. Oliver took a seat next to her in his office chair and offered Isabel to sit down opposite of them.

"Does she know?" Isabel asked in a snappy tone.

Felicity yet again beat Oliver to it when he wanted to speak up.  
"Yes _'SHE'_ knows. By the way there's no need to speak like I'm not in the room. I'm blind, I'm not deaf." Felicity smiled with an arrogant tone. This wasn't Felicity's way of behaving at all, but with that person she was sure to give as good as she got.

"You wanted to talk, now talk."  
Oliver suddenly spoke up and broke up the bitching contest that apparently was about to start between his girlfriend and his ex.

"Right." Isabel gave him a forced smile. "Have you made a decision yet? You know there's not much time left and while you enjoy your good life in Marbella I am actually worried about my job and my reputation!" she called out, a little too loud for Oliver's liking.

"Mind your tone, please. And of course I thought about the contract. But since you and I are not a couple any more, to put it mildly, moving to Coast City isn't an option for me anymore. I would have never considered that contract in the first place if it hadn't been for you and our plans!"

"Well, then pay the penalty fee." Isabel just shrugged, unfazed by Oliver's harsh tone.

"Oh it's not that I have fucking 5 million Dollars stored in my drawer for occasions like this!" he spat out and Felicity had to put a hand on his thigh to calm him down a bit.

"Then ask your father. I don't care! But I won't let you ruin my reputation, Oliver!" Isabel said before she got up and made her way to the door. When Felicity heard her heels click on the marble floor of his office, she suddenly spoke up.

"As far as I know, your signature is under that contract just like Oliver's. That means you're in the very same boat as him. Which means, if that contract can't be forfeited, the penalty fee can and WILL be split up. Trust me; I will make sure of that."

When Felicity heard the clicking of the heels stop abruptly, she smiled to the door, knowing Isabel would look at her.  
"You see, this is very much your problem as it is Oliver's. You don't get to threaten him to actions just so you won't lose your job and reputation and simply walk out of this office."

Oliver's head moved between the two women in his office like watching a Tennis match.

"What do you want?" Isabel spoke up after a few seconds of silence.  
"The only thing **we** want," Felicity smiled, taking Oliver's hand in hers, "is for you to find a way to get out of this contract because you caused that mess in the first place and it's not just Oliver's job to clean it up."

"Don't you think I already tried that?" Isabel spat out, her patience clearly wearing thin.

"I don't know… maybe you were too busy _"incorporating"_ your new coworker." Felicity told her with a straight face and Oliver had to chuckle. When Isabel shot him a look of death, Oliver's laugh died though.

"This isn't over!" Isabel warned them and grabbed the door handle to leave the office.

"Indeed. We expect to hear from you in a timely manner with helpful ideas on how to solve this problem. I'm sure you can help yourself out." Felicity smiled at Isabel until she could hear the office door click shut. She kept a straight face until they both could hear the Loft door open and close. Oliver quickly got up and checked the Loft to make sure Isabel was really gone when he heard the elevator doors close and returned to the office.

" .THAT?" he asked her with a tone mixed between complete shock and utter fascination for the woman still sitting in her spot next to his desk chair.

"I can't believe that person is your ex-girlfriend!" Felicity grinned when she slumped back into the seat. "If she looks like she sounds, I never want to meet her."

Oliver had to laugh at that statement. "What do you want me to reply to that?" he asked her.

"Nothing, please. I don't want to know." she laughed. "That woman is already giving me a headache and I just met her like 5 hours ago."

"I'm sorry. I really didn't want to drag you into all this." Oliver admitted when he rounded the desk and pulled her in his arms, peppering her hair with kisses.

"So you planned to hide this from me forever?" she leaned back and looked up.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just… I don't know what to do and you have enough of stuff to deal with on your own plate, I didn't want to add mine to that." he sighed.

"Hey," she wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, "we're in this together now. I dragged you into my shit as well, remember? And that's not exactly how I planned it either." She admitted with a smile.

"I don't know what to do. Football is the only thing I've ever done in my life, I can't lose that." he sighed and rested his forehead against hers.

"What Isabel said about your father… that he could help…"

"I'm not going to ask him!" Oliver cut her off immediately.

"I'm not saying you should. But could he?"

"He could. But I'm not so sure he would. He never approved of my Sports career, he'd rather see me taking up the Company and step into his shoes one day. That's why I can't and won't ask him. I'm not going to ask my father to right my wrongs, Felicity. I won't give him the satisfaction that I failed like he predicted all those years."

"Oliver, you didn't fail. Things just didn't go as planned. Stuff happens; it's just how we deal with it now to solve the problem." she gave him a reassuring smile.  
Oliver looked at her in awe.

"Where did I find you and why haven't I found you sooner?" he asked her before he leaned down to capture her lips with soft kiss. When Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck, Oliver leaned down and picked her up, wrapping her legs securely around his back.  
Felicity squealed in surprise.  
"I missed that." she grinned when Oliver carried her out of the office and into the bedroom.

"What are we going to do about the contract and Isabel now?" she asked him when he climbed the stairs with her in his arms.

"I'll tell you what we do… we stop talking about any of that and enjoy our evening. There's stuff I'd rather do with you now than discussing contracts. I'm exhausted and the contract will still be there tomorrow. And god help me, so will Isabel."

"I like the way you think." Felicity grinned. "Besides, I could use a good stretching now." she said while stretching her back and Oliver stopped mid-way to the bedroom. When Felicity realized her innuendo, her entire face turned red. "Oh my god, I meant stretching my legs! Not getting stretched in a sexual kind of – I'm making it worse, right?" she rambled and Oliver had to laugh.

"Yes you do, but I like it." he grinned and climbed the last steps before entering the bedroom.

When Felicity excused herself to the bathroom, Oliver quickly cleaned up the mess that she left the morning while looking for her stuff. Once he had everything stuffed in her bags again, he took the tray and brought it down to the kitchen.  
When he got back upstairs, Felicity stood in the room, dressed in nothing but her panties and a bra, searching for her sleep shorts. The tattooed wings on her back moved with every flex of her shoulders and Oliver could only stare at them. His mouth watered at the sight in front of him and for a moment he just enjoyed looking at her while she digged through the sheets, trying to find her clothes. The last days had been exhausting for both of them and there hadn't been time for any intimacy, and he really missed that. When she sighed in frustration, unable to locate her shorts, Oliver pushed himself away from the door frame and walked over to her.

"Need a little help?" he whispered into her neck when he wrapped his arms around her body, pressing her back firmly to his chest.

"I can't find my sleep shorts." she pouted and Oliver gently stroked his fingers up and down her ribs, making her shiver. When his lips found their way to her neck, he mumbled "God I want you so bad." before gently sucking on her skin. Felicity whimpered, squirming.

"What are you doing, Oliver?" she whispered.

"What I should have done days ago, Felicity" he told her in a low, seductive voice, kissing her neck, his lips dragging along her jawbone before he turned her head to meet her lips, engaging in a deep kiss. He turned her around in his arms, pulling her closer as he parted her lips with his tongue.

"Bed. Now." was all Felicity could get to say at that.

Oliver cupped her ass with his palms and lifted her up. She immediately hooped her legs around his torso, grinding her hips into his in the process. Oliver gently placed her on the bed, and unhooked her legs behind him while he kissed and licked a path down her body to her belly button. When Felicity moaned softly and arched her back, Oliver reached behind her and unhooked her bra, slipping it off. Felicity moaned in delight as she felt his warm tongue drawing circles around her hardened nipples. He was teasing her, but she didn't mind. Soon he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking gently as his hand pleasured her other breast, slightly pinching and twisting the nipple between his fingers. Felicity moaned out loud, running her fingers through his short blonde hair. Oliver grinned proudly, feeling her writhe under his ministrations, growling playfully as he moved his kisses downwards her body.  
Oliver started fidgeting with the waistband of her panties, hooking his thumbs under it but never pulling it down. He gently rubbed her hipbones and kissed a path down her thighs.

"Oliver..." she whispered, letting out a soft sigh.

"God you're perfect, " he moaned softly before he hooked two fingers under the waistband of her panties again and gave them a slight tug. Felicity immediately lifted her hips, letting Oliver pull her panties down, his erection becoming even harder when he saw her wet center.

"Felicity..." he moaned, leaning in, lifting one of her legs over his shoulder, gently opening her up for him before trailing kisses up and down her thigh again, never touching her wet center.

"Ugh!" Felicity whimpered, gently thrusting her hips towards his face, so turned on by him.

"Ah ah ah," Oliver grinned, "patience, my love." he teased her, even though his body was telling him badly to taste her that very second. Felicity whined softly as Oliver leaned in and gently bit her inner thighs before soothing the pain with his tongue. His lips got closer and closer to her hot center and as he got barely an inch from her, he couldn't contain himself any longer, extending his tongue into her pussy, licking her swollen clit and up and down for the first time.

Felicity moaned loudly, her back arching off the mattress, hands gripping the sheets tightly.  
"You taste so damn good," Oliver moaned and he had to grip her hips to still her movements.

He moved his finger along her folds, up and down, the gentle, teasing caress nearly causing her to slide off the mattress. "Tell me what you like," he said in a calm tone between teasing her clit with his tongue and finger.

"I like everything you're doing so far." was the only thing Felicity could choke out.

Sliding over her clit, he rubbed the swollen nub for a few moments before moving lower and toying with her wet opening with the tip of his finger. "And this?" he prompted.

"Also good," she choked out.

Before Felicity could blink, that talented finger pushed into her, deep inside, drawing a moan from her throat. Pleasure swarmed her body like a herd of excited butterflies. Oliver's beard stubble scraped against her hyper-sensitized thighs, his mouth hot and eager as he pressed it to her aching pussy. And his tongue… oh lord. His tongue lapped her up, long sensual strokes that stoked the fire building in her belly and made her toes curl and—yup, she was going to come.

She gripped his head tightly, pressing it deeper into her pussy when her legs started to shake. When she arched her back off the bed again, Oliver gently sucked on her clit and sent her over the edge.

Felicity came with a moaned "Oh" and could feel her entire body spasm before she fell back onto the mattress. Oliver let her ride out the orgasm and gently kissed and licked her through it.

She cleared her throat when she realized how husky her voice sounded. "I couldn't help it… it was… too good."

"Don't apologize for coming, beautiful." Oliver smiled at her and got up from the bed, shredding off his Jeans and T-Shirt in the process. When he saw Felicity roll to the side, he quickly reached up with two large hands and kept her in place. "And don't even think about getting up. That orgasm was just to take the edge off. Now I can really get started." he told her and Felicity could hear the smirk in his tone.

Before she could ask what his definition of getting started was he'd already pressed his lips back to her clit.  
"Oliver, you already—" her voice died in her throat as he swirled his tongue over her.  
Okay, so this man was obviously more skilled than any of her past lovers. Not that she compared them.

Another moan slipped out of her mouth as he sucked her clit between his warm lips again. Her entire body throbbed with restless arousal, as if the violent orgasm he'd just given it wasn't enough. And no, it wasn't enough. She wanted more and Oliver made her realize that.

When he pressed two fingers into her, curling them upwards in the process, Felicity felt it wouldn't take her long to climax again. God, she was close. Pleasure built up inside her like water against a dam. All it would take was one more stroke of his tongue, one more thrust of his fingers to send her over the edge again. Oliver pressed his fingers hard against her G-spot, sucked even harder on her clit, and she exploded.

The climax was just as intense as the first, just as fierce and all-consuming, and this one didn't end. It just roared on, tearing through her body like a wildfire while bursts of bliss sparked her nerve endings.

"Oliver," she moaned, fighting for breath under his never ending ministrations, "It's too much… it's… I can't take it… oh God."  
Rather than release her, he continued to tongue her, his fingers sliding in and out with long, deep thrusts until she was coming again. Or maybe she had never stopped coming the first time. Who knew. Who cared.

Felicity's pulse pumped in her ears, her breasts throbbed beneath her trembling fingers and she just realized that at some point she must have started kneading her own breasts and flicking her nipples while Oliver worked her through her third orgasm. And the pleasure - it never ended. The dam had broken and a rush of pure rapture poured through her in uncontrollable waves.

"Felicity," Oliver groaned, lifting his head after planting one last soft kiss to her clit.

She gasped for air, her body so sated and numb she couldn't move a single limb or muscle.

Oliver slowly kissed his way up her body until her hovered above her and gave her nipple a soft lick. When he moved further up, painting a path along her collarbone with his tongue, Felicity arched her head back and inhaled deeply. When he captured her lips for a demanding kiss, she could taste herself on his tongue. She licked along his lips and gently sucked on his lower lip until Oliver deepened the kiss, enjoying the warmth of her mouth, sharing her taste with her tongue. Lifting her arms, she twined them around his strong, corded neck and pulled him closer, needing to feel that rock-hard body pressed against her.

"Are you nervous?" he asked softly, leaning closer to her.

Felicity gave him a hesitant smile. "After what you just did to me? No, I'm not nervous. Why do you ask?"

He reached out and brushed a loose curl behind her ear. "Your heart… it's pounding."

She touched his chest just above his heart. "Yours too."

"You know we don't have to do anything you don't want." Oliver told her with a silent tone while stroking her face and body.

"I want to, it's just… doing this with the blindness is still pretty weird. And I know I must sound crazy right now after what you just did to me a few minutes ago, but – "

"I got an idea!" Oliver called out and quickly got up from the bed. Felicity leaned up on her elbows and waited to hear any sounds coming from the room to make out what Oliver could be doing. She heard a drawer being opened and closed before Oliver returned to the bed and climbed on it again.  
"Close your eyes," Oliver told her and crouched behind her.

Felicity looked confused. "Oliver, it's not that I can use my eyes anyway, so – "

"Trust me, close your eyes." he assured her.  
When Felicity closed her eyes and waited for Oliver to do whatever he was about to do, she could feel a soft silk band being draped over her eyes and closed behind her head.

"Too tight?" he asked her and knotted the ends to a soft knot.

"No, it's fine," she told him when she touched the soft material covering her eyes, "but I don't understand?"

"That way you're not unable to see because of the blindness but because I blindfolded you. At least I hope the blindfold gives you that feeling? If it's uncomfortable, I'll take it off – "he hesitated and started fidgeting with the knot again, when Felicity's hand stopped him.

"This is perfect." she whispered with a slight blush.  
Oliver smiled and gently pushed her back into the mattress before he kicked off his boxer briefs and slid between her legs, placing hot wet kisses up her collarbone to her neck.

"If you want to stop at any point, just say it and we'll stop." he whispered into her ear before nipping on her earlobe. Felicity gasped, unable to form a clear thought.  
She just wanted to feel him.

When his lips went over her collarbone again and down her breasts, she relaxed into the pillows and gently stroked his head with her nails, earning a low moan from him. She did it again and Oliver gently bit onto her nipple in return. His lips wandered to the other breast when she could feel his hand reach beside her and heard a drawer pulled open.  
"What are you doing now?" she half-moaned.

"Condom." he mumbled while flicking his tongue over her nipple.

When Felicity placed a hand on his shoulder and stilled the hand that rummaged through open drawer, Oliver looked up at her in surprise.  
"I'm covered… and I'm clean." she gave him an honest, but shy smile.

"Me too," he smiled. "Clean, I mean… not covered." Felicity let out a laugh that quickly died again when she heard the drawer being shut and felt Oliver remove the walking cast from her left leg. The bandage wrap under it still sat on her leg tightly, but Felicity was happy to have the weight off her leg for a while. When she felt Oliver move above her until she could feel his breath on her neck she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently scratched his back with her fingernails, earning a hiss from him. Oliver grabbed her left thigh and wrapped the leg around his waist, opening her up for him.

He entered her then in one long, slow glide. She was tight, warm and so wet that he wanted never to leave her.

A low rumbling groan erupted from the pit of his throat when Felicity slowly circled her hip, trying to accommodate to his size.  
"Felicity… don't move." he growled as his head snapped back up. "This will be over sooner than we want if you move… just, give me a second." he groaned, stilling her hips with his huge palms. Felicity clenched her inner muscles with a sheepish smile, hoping that wouldn't set him off, but the loud groan that rumbled through Oliver told her otherwise.

After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and slowly started thrusting into her with shallow movements. Felicity's head fell back into the pillows and Oliver captured her lips with a deep kiss, sharing her taste with her, when he started to thrust harder. He swallowed the long moan that escaped her mouth, never breaking the kiss.  
After a few hard thrusts, Felicity swung her other leg around his waist, trying to pull him deeper into her. Oliver's lips trailed over her chin down her neck to her earlobe when he picked up the pace.

"Oh fuck yes," she moaned as Oliver thrust into her. She tried to bite her lip but a whimper of pure delight left her mouth starting out high and morphing to a long moan at Oliver's next thrust. One of his hands slid between them, slowly circling her clit while he thrust in and out of her. He kept a slow but steady pace, pushing in completely in every thrust. Felicity curled her hands around Oliver's arms; loving the feel of muscles tensing to hold himself up.

"Harder," she whined and Oliver buried his face in her neck.

He adjusted her pulled her right leg from his back and adjusted it over his shoulder, and the snap of his hips became more forceful, his dick hitting harder on each thrust. The grip on his arms tightened and Felicity leaned her forehead against his shoulder in sheer pleasure. He turned his head and licked over the sensitive skin of her neck. When he took a section between his teeth and bit down, sucking greedily on the flesh, Felicity let out a moan. The steady pace Oliver kept was speeding up and his breathing quickened; they were both reaching the limits of their self control.

"Oliver, please," Felicity begged. She needed just a little bit more from him.

"Yes?" he whispered into her neck.

She nipped at his neck and gently sucked on his earlobe.  
"Harder… faster… please, Oliver."

Oliver just answered her with a rough kiss. He pulled out of her and Felicity almost threw a fit but Oliver stepped off the edge of the bed and dragged her down the length, pulling her by her thighs. He leaned over her, capturing her mouth in a hungry kiss, draping her arms around his neck.

"Legs too," he said, his voice low and rough. Once Felicity had her legs wrapped around his waist, Oliver pulled her up off the bed.

"Hold onto me." he whispered, gathering her in his arms.

Felicity didn't know what was happening when she felt him walking through the room until her back pressed against a wall. She slipped a little but Oliver held her right, holding her up between the wall and the thrust of his hips. She dug her fingers into the back of his neck, both for stability and as she cried out over the new depth he was hitting. Oliver fucked her hard and fast into that wall. He pressed their foreheads together and Felicity wished she could see him at that moment.

When he pressed his head into the crook of her neck, Felicity sucked on his pulse point between moans and sighs leaving her.  
And then she heard Oliver mumble. So silent, she wasn't sure she heard him right.  
'I love you'  
He whispered into her shoulder. Over and over again.

A grin spread on her face and she realized how different this was.  
This wasn't just sex.  
It may have looked like it, and sounded like it, and even felt like it but this was more than just sex. Sex, pure fucking, was just physical; nothing more than two people tangled together in a race to sexual release. Oliver and her weren't just having sex. He may have been fucking her hard and fast but he was doing it because she wanted him to and Oliver would always give her what she wanted. Every movement of his strong, sweat-slicked body was more than what it seemed.

His arms wrapped tightly around her did more than just holding her up; they promised.  
 _'I will always be there for you.'_

Every thrust of his hips did more than just push her closer to orgasm, every single once forcefully told her _'I will always give you what you want.'_  
Oliver wasn't just fucking her, he was declaring his love for her and he was using his entire body to make sure she heard him. Her whimpers and cried hid the actual sobs that Felicity couldn't explain that were threatening. If she wouldn't be wearing the blindfold, she was sure a tear would have escaped her as well. And Oliver knew. He heard her. He didn't say anything; he just tilted his head and kissed her with his whole heart, reassuring her _Yes Felicity. I'm yours, I love you.'_

Every single one of her senses got lost in Oliver; the taste of his tongue on her mouth, the scent of sweat and Oliver and sex in the air, the fucking incredible feel of his dick inside of her. When he moved one of his hands between her legs again and started rubbing her clit, Felicity fell over the edge again. She clutched at him as her limbs tensed, every continuing thrust pushing her past her limits and she didn't know whether or not she wanted him to stop.

"Oliver!" she cried softly.

Oliver covered her mouth with his, thrusting hard a few more times before the gasp and quiver that shook his whole body told her that he fell over the edge, too. He came inside of her, moaning her name. His motions slowed to a stop and he reluctantly pulled out of her, gently pulling her away from the wall and back on the bed.  
Oliver, still panting, kissed her forehead and collapsed next to her onto the mattress.

They lay on their sides, facing each other, and Felicity started to fumble with the knot on her blindfold. When she got rid of it, she scooted closer to Oliver and tangled her legs with his, laying an arm over his side.

Oliver tilted her chip up with his fingers and kissed her with a gentleness that was the polar opposite of the rough sex they were still recovering from.

"I love you." he whispered, so silent Felicity almost didn't hear it, when he pulled her into his chest, pulling the sheets over them.

Felicity was overwhelmed with emotion. She could feel the tears threatening as she snuggled into the man that she loved. She couldn't speak, she couldn't tell him that she loved him too, she wasn't ready yet, but she was sure he knew. She curled into the warmth of his body, of his love, and closed her eyes, sighing contently.

She was happier than she had been in a very long time, despite her current situation. It wasn't just the sex they just had; even though the sex had been amazing. She had had sex before, but this was better. This, to be so thoroughly fucked by a man whose every kiss, every lick, every thrust, touch and bite was a reflection of how much he loved her – this was infinitely better and she couldn't wait to explore more of this love with him.


	14. new and old friends

Oliver woke up on Friday morning with Felicity lying naked in his bed, their legs intertwined, her hair fanned out over his chest. At least he thought it was Friday.

Everything that had happened since Thursday afternoon ran together in a fuzzy blur. The fight with Isabel, him telling Felicity he loved her, Felicity signaling him she loved him back. Having sex with Felicity in his bed, and against the wall, and in the shower, and… well, those events are a little clearer in his blurry timeline. They had stayed naked until late afternoon until both became hungry and Oliver had to take a call from Diggle, reminding him about the Conference in the evening before they hopped into bed again for another hour of snuggling until Oliver had to leave.

Felicity lay across the bed, propped up on Oliver's chest. She was drawing circles over his abs when she heard him yawn, noticing that he was awake. She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the stomach.

Oliver pulled her into his arms and gave her a sweet kiss. Felicity sighed and leaned deeper into his embrace, relaxing every sore muscle in her body.

"I love you", she whispered into his neck. One of her hands trailed down his chest, gently grazing up and down his stomach, sending sparks through her fingertips.

Oliver couldn't hide the wide smile that covered his face when he heard Felicity finally say the words he craved to hear from her for so long now.  
"I love you too."

She planted a kiss on his cheek and he could feel her lips spread into a smile.  
Oliver wrapped his arm lazily over her naked back and closed his eyes, sighing with contentment. The only thing better than waking up next to Felicity was Felicity telling him she loved him.  
This beautiful, vibrant woman lying naked next to him, telling him she loved him and he loved her. And it was impossible for him not to love her. It felt like Felicity breathed life into Oliver again. He had been rejected too many times in the past, his Playboy-past and all the mistakes haunting him whenever he tried to build up a serious relationship, and he had resigned himself to a life of solitude, focusing on his Sports Career only, especially after what happened with Isabel. And then Felicity came along, demanding his heart and offering hers in return, and she brought him back to life.

Felicity had saved him from himself and he loved her for that. Oliver's heart was so light, finally free from all these doubts, that when she told him she needed him, he couldn't hold it in any more.  
When they shared that deep, intimate connection last night, he knew that was all he would ever need. He loved her with all his heart and something inside of him told him that he would never stop loving her. Not that it mattered – he never _wanted_ to stop loving her.

When Felicity let out a small laugh, Oliver looked down at her.  
"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she smiled, "I was just thinking about how life often takes strange routes… I mean, we met in Europe, during a vacation. And now look at us."

"I will never forget the day I first say you." Oliver admitted with a smile. "You were so beautiful." he whispered, tucking a stray lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.

Felicity blushed. "I was wearing casts and was covered in bruises. By the way Caitlin and my Mom sounded when they first saw me after the accident I'm pretty sure I looked anything but beautiful" she laughed.

"I didn't care for the casts or bruises. It was your smile that fascinated me from the very first second you were being carried out to the Pool. Even Thea saw that."

"Yeah, I'm sure she caught you staring!" Felicity laughed.

Oliver snorted at that. "Yeah well, maybe she did. But I couldn't look away from you. There was something about you, and it wasn't the fact that you were hurt. At first I was almost 100% sure you were with someone, and it wasn't that I cared much for that in the past. If there was a woman that interested me, I made a move, not caring if she had a partner or not. But with you? For the first time in years I was unsure, almost completely out of my comfort-zone." he admitted and Felicity listened closely while he spoke, thinking back to the day they met.

"Oh I can relate to that _'out of your comfort zone'_ – thing." she laughed. "You know, normally I'm not blind and limping when I agree to go on a date with some super hot sounding stranger."

"Hot stranger? That's what I was for you?" Oliver laughed and looked down at her.

"Absolutely." she grinned. "And in some way you still are."  
Her voice dropped a bit, excitement slowly leaving.  
"I know you so well by now but somehow I still don't know you at all. I can't see your facial expressions, your smile when you laugh, or when you send me a look from time to time – and don't deny it, I know you do!" she smiled and Oliver snorted. "I would love to see your eyes, your body, your Apartment, everything that's… - you." she sighed.  
"Caitlin's Apartment, basically everything about LA is a life I know. I can remember those things, even if I can't see them right now, but I at least have an imagination of it. But with you and your life here in Starling City? For the first time I have to admit it's like a book with blank pages that I can't fill with anything but ideas of how it might look. And I hate mysteries, they bug me. Facts, that's what I love. Sure, you could tell me your eyes are blue and your hair is blonde, but it still doesn't paint a clear picture in my head that I can rely on. And I'm scared to paint that picture. What if I paint you in my head and when I get my eyesight back, you're completely different? It would mean I'd have fooled my brain all this time, feeding it with a wrong image." Felicity sighed and frowned at the thought.

Oliver looked down at her in worry, pulling her head out of the crook of his neck.  
"Are you worried you might be disappointed when you get your eyesight back?"

"NO! No, that's not what I meant. And I'm not such a person, Oliver. I don't care for looks, it's the character and heart I fall in love with." she smiled at him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're hot as hell." she smirked.

"But?"

"But still it gives me an uneasy feeling. I feel like loving you like I never loved someone before, but then again I don't even know you half as good as I knew my worst ex-boyfriend. Does that even make sense?" she chewed her lip nervously and Oliver pulled it from her teeth with his thumb, soothing over it.

"Yeah it does." he kissed her forehead and listened closely while Felicity rambled on.

"I know all these little things about you and it's awesome. I love the way you smell, the grumbling sound you make when you're fast asleep, the little fresh scar on your hipbone or that mole on your lip. But I would love to know about all these basics, too…" she sighed again in frustration, her head dropping onto his chest again.  
Oliver grabbed her face in both hands and pulled her up face to face with him when he spoke.

"Hey, don't think too much, beautiful. Everything's going to be fine," he assured her. "As soon as I'm back from the Conference, we'll check with Doctor's here in Starling and see what they can do. And you even said it yourself; your eyes are getting better. Bright lights don't hurt you that much anymore; that's a good sign."  
Oliver pulled her into his embrace and gently kissed her temple. "Don't let the incident with your Mom pull you down. Parents aren't always right, trust me… I know what I'm talking about." he laughed and Felicity couldn't help but smile at that, too.

They spent some more time in bed, snuggling into each other's arms before Oliver had to get up and get ready for the Conference at the Starling Archers.  
"I won't be gone for long, promised." he pulled her into an embrace and gave her a passionate kiss before heading downstairs to the parking garage.

Felicity took the time alone to call Barry. She hadn't talked to her cousin in a while and now that she was in Starling City, it was a great chance to get in touch with him again and maybe even arrange a Date. With only her Mom left of her family and no other siblings to hang around with, she missed the presence of her cousin. He was one of the very few family members she could so easily hang out with, who loved her tech babble and ramblings about new technology just as much as she did. When Barry moved to Starling City for his new Job though, Felicity was pretty much left alone with her mom in Las Vegas. They kept in touch through the phone regularly and Barry even visited her every once in a while, but to Felicity it wasn't the same. When she left for College though, she quickly gained a new friend in Caitlin. Thinking of her, Felicity made a mental note to also call her best friend today and see how things are going in Los Angeles.

A soft knock coming from the Loft door jerked her out of her thoughts. Alerted, Felicity leaned up from her chilling position on the couch and immediately tried to locate her mobile phone that lay on the table in front of her while she stared in the direction of the Apartment entrance. 'Maybe it's just a neighbor.' she thought to herself, when a female voice appeared through the frosted glass door.  
"Ollie, I can hear the TV running. I know you're there. Open up or I'll let myself in!"

Felicity jerked up from the couch in shock, unable to move a muscle, not knowing what to do. This wasn't her Apartment, she couldn't simply walk to the door and answer it, especially not with a female standing on the outside that she didn't know. After the incident with Isabel, Felicity wasn't too interested to meet any more women in Oliver's life, thank you very much.

When she heard the clicking of a key and the door pressed open, Felicity just wanted to run away but stood frozen in the living room. She grabbed her phone so tightly her palm started to hurt, when the female voice entering the Loft became a lot clearer.  
"Ollie, for goodness sake, stop avoiding me! You know that I – who are you?" the female voice stopped abruptly and Felicity could feel the woman's presence right in front of her, her tone sounding confused and a slight bit annoyed. Felicity opened her mouth to speak but didn't know what to say.

"Wait, you're that girl from Marbella! Felicity, right?" the female voice spoke up, suddenly sounding not so annoyed any more.

"Uhm… yeah, that's me." she answered, still very apprehensive and nervous.

"It's so cool to finally meet you!" the woman practically squealed and threw her arms around Felicity, who still remained completely frozen in place, keeping the death grip on her mobile phone.

"And you are?" she manages to speak up after clearing her throat.

The woman took a step back after releasing Felicity from the very one-sided hug.

"I'm Thea, Ollie's sister." she smiled across the room.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you. Oliver talks about you a lot." Felicity smiles, trying to cover her nervousness.

"Oh don't lie; I know he doesn't do that." Thea shrugged and plopped onto the couch. After a few seconds, Felicity also sat down, even though a bit stiff. "Speaking of the devil… where is he?"

"He had to go to a Conference for his Football Team. But he told me he'd be back soon." Felicity answered, still sitting nervously next to the young woman on Oliver's couch.

"Well then it's time for some coffee while we wait for him, I guess." Thea announced and got up from the couch, making a beeline for the kitchen.

"Oh coffee would be awesome!" Felicity suddenly squealed. "I have no idea how this coffee maker works and didn't have any coffee besides the one Oliver made in the morning, and trust me, we really needed that one, not that you want to know because you're his little sister and if I had a younger brother telling me he just had sex multiple times last night I would want to vomit as well and oh my god what am I doing?" Felicity rambled and Thea gave her a very confused but slightly amused look. "Please forget everything I told you the last 30 seconds… YES, a coffee would be wonderful." Felicity blushed. "Just add a ton of milk and sugar for me, please."

Thea stood in the kitchen and shook her head in wonder. The blonde, bubbly woman sitting on the couch was different than any woman Oliver met in the past, that was obvious. Thea decided to dig a bit deeper and find out more about the new woman at his brothers' side because she knew for a fact that Oliver wouldn't tell her anything.

"So, what happened to you?" Thea casually asked when she slumped back onto the couch with a bag of Chips, placing two coffee mugs on the table in front of Felicity, who still nervously fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

"What?" Felicity's head snapped up in surprise, hearing nothing but crunching and munching coming from the woman next to her.

"What happened to you? I've seen Ollie carrying you around in Marbella, but back then you were still sporting some casts and not that walk-around thingy." Thea shrugged.

Felicity smiles slightly. "Yeah, I'm glad they're gone." She stretches the fingers on her bandaged hand a bit, enjoying to finally being able to move her fingers without pain again.

"So?"

Felicity shifted around on the couch, unsure what to reply. She could have politely told Oliver's sister that she didn't want to talk about it and changed the topic. But did she want to avoid it? It wasn't her fault to be in this situation, so why should she feel bad talking about it, especially since it's been a few months now? And it's not that Thea was a stranger to her – okay, at that moment she still was, but being with Oliver definitely meant meeting his family at some point. And of course they would have questions. And until now she had a surprisingly nice conversation with his sister. Felicity didn't want to risk giving Thea a bad first impression, so she decided to tell the truth.

"I got hit by a car." Felicity replied, trying to sound more casual than the situation was.

"What? How did that happen?" Thea asked her in shock and Felicity could hear that she even stopped stuffing Chips into her mouth.

"Well, someone drove a car, I crossed the street, poof." Felicity made a blow up gesture with her hands and Thea snorted. Felicity had to smile, too, even though the situation wasn't funny at all back then.

"But who did that? Did they catch the person?"

"Yeah no… the car was stolen and they never caught anyone. The police presumed my Ex behind everything, but he has an Alibi for the time it happened so I couldn't press charges against him. They had to drop the case." Felicity shrugged; surprised at herself about how casually she was able to speak about the accident. She leaned back into the cushions and sighed slightly.

"And your eyes? I mean, I doubt you're wearing sunshades because Ollie's Apartment is so super bright." she laughed and Felicity couldn't hide a smile at that.  
"I landed on the side of my face and my optical nerve got crushed."

"Is it permanent? Or will you be able to see again?" Thea asked, sounding honestly worried which made Felicity smile internally.

"I don't know, honestly." Felicity shrugged. "They told me it should come back within a few months, but there's no guarantee for that." And again Felicity was surprised about herself. A few weeks ago she was struggling to tell Oliver about any of that, and now she sat next to his sister, a woman she met barely 30 minutes ago, and happily answered all the questions she got asked. She made a mental fist pump at that.

"You should meet with Dr. Bernstein. He's like our personal House-Doctor. Patched me up after I crashed our Jet Ski into a boat when I was 13." Thea giggled. "And he treated Dad's cataract a few years ago." Thea casually told her while she kept on stuffing Chips into her mouth.

"Oliver and I wanted to check on some Treatment options and possible Doctors in Starling for me tonight as soon as he's back. But thanks for your offer; I will keep that in mind." Felicity gave her a small smile before she fumbled for the coffee mug and took a sip.

They talked about Felicity's life in LA and she visibly relaxed more and more into the conversation. She actually enjoyed that the conversation with his sister went so casually right from the start. Talking to strangers had never been a thing for her since the accident which made the group of people to interact with through a day relatively small. And being in Starling City now, a city she didn't know at all, certainly didn't help changing that. So Felicity was happy to have a casual conversation partner for the moment.

"You're different. I mean, you're not like the women Ollie usually dated." Thea suddenly spoke up after a few moments of silence while Felicity sipped on her coffee.

"Oh I already realized that." Felicity laughed. When she could feel Thea staring at her in confusion, Felicity spoke up again. "I met Isabel yesterday. Charming person." she snorted and Thea burst out laughing.

"God, I hate her. With every fiber of my body." Thea giggled and grabbed her coffee mug.

"How does she look like?" Felicity asked her and Thea's head shot around in surprise. "I mean, I have a good impression of how she could look like considering the way she bitched around yesterday, but I honestly wonder if the look I painted in my head matches the one she actually has." Felicity told her, trying to sound not too crazy. "And obviously I won't ask your brother about that." she laughed and Thea agreed with a snort.

"Now I'm intrigued at how you think she might look. Let's make it a game!" Thea grinned at her and sat straight on the couch, legs crossed under her body.

"Oh-kay?" Felicity answered, slightly hesitant, unsure what Thea might have in mind.

"You tell me anything about the Isabel in your head and I'll correct you if you're wrong. Ooooh this will be fun!" Thea giggled and clapped her hands together. "It's been too long since I had someone to slander with about Isabel." Thea laughed and Felicity stared at her with slightly raised eyebrows.

Felicity folded her right leg into a kneeling position under her body and let the left one with the cast hang loosely from the couch.  
"Okay… let me think… I'd say she's blonde, long straight hair."

"Nope… brown, long and wavy." Thea giggled.

Felicity thought for a while, unsure what to ask next. On one hand she was curious how Isabel actually looked, but on the other hand she wasn't sure if it would be ideal to sit with Oliver's sister, a woman she met barely an hour ago, on his couch, bitching about his ex-girlfriend.

"That's all you have in mind? Oh come on Fee, there must be more!" Thea pouted, enjoying the game more than she should.

"Ah screw it, you're right. Just tell me… is she some business dressed, heavily made-up, super skinny, always too well smelling, emotionless, arrogant brunette Barbie?" Felicity suddenly asked, pretty much in the same rambling speed she embarrassed herself to Thea earlier.

Thea burst out laughing and it took her a good 15 seconds to calm herself again, wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh my god I love you! Oliver definitely needs to keep you! And you're right, pretty much… except for the heavy make-up. But the lack of smokey eyes she makes up with too perfectly styled hair ALLLLL the time." Thea told her and Felicity could feel her gesturing around with her arms.

They laughed and giggled very casually for another 15 minutes until they heard the Loft door being opened. Both women immediately stopped the conversation and looked in the direction of the entryway when Oliver entered the Loft with a clearly confused look on his face at the situation that enfolded in front of him, on his couch, in his Loft.  
"Thea, what are you doing here?" he asked her, and Felicity could hear the alarm and slight annoyance in his tone.

"I wanted to visit you, since you ignore my texts and calls, big brother." she announced and got up from the couch to give Oliver a hug. "And when I came here, I met your lovely girlfriend." she smiled, gesturing to Felicity, who still sat on the couch, leaning into the cushions with a completely relaxed expression and a smile on her face. Oliver's tension went away as soon as he saw that she was comfortable.

"You should have called, Speedy. You know I don't like when you come in here unannounced." Oliver warned her when he took off his jacket and threw it over the back of the couch.

"Yeah guess what I did?! Multiple times? But to have a conversation with me, you actually have to push 'Accept' on your phone instead of shoving it back into your pocket!" Thea told him with an annoyed tone and Felicity couldn't hold back a small smile at that.

"Well, what's the visit for?" Oliver asked her and leaned against the couch, always keeping an eye on Felicity sitting a few feet away from him.

"Since you ignore my calls, I came over to ask you if you have an idea for a wedding gift for Tommy and Laurel already."

Oh shit, he completely forgot that! With everything about Felicity and his problems with Isabel, he completely forgot to think about a wedding present for his best friends.  
"Not really." he replied, trying to sound as casual as possible but Thea just quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah well luckily you have an awesome little sister," she told him, gesturing with her hands down her body, "that already took care of that." she grinned at her brother.

"What is it?"

"Well since their wedding is in Marbella and they'll do their Honeymoon on that sailing yacht along the coast, I figured we should do something that matches that." Oliver just nodded and listened closely. "Well, I talked to the Yacht owner and he told me that there are a few private islands with luxurious beach houses on it, not accessible to the public. The Yacht owner knows some of the Island owners and told me it would be possible to book one of these islands for 2 weeks. I asked him to send me all information about each island that would be available so we can pick the nicest one and book it for them." Thea smiled and practically beamed at him when she finished her speech.

Oliver thought about it for a few moments before he grabbed Thea by her arms, pulled her to him and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "That is a great idea, Speedy! We just need to make sure that Merlyn Global and the DA are informed about their longer vacation then."

"Yeah well, that's where you come in. Could you talk to Malcolm and Captain Lance and make sure their schedules will be cleared but without them finding out?" she gave him a sweet look, twinkling her lashes at him a few times.

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." Oliver told her after thinking about it a few seconds.

"Awesome! Now that my work is done here, I can leave you two lovebirds alone!" Thea announced and made her way around the couch to Felicity, who still sat there, listening closely to the conversation between the two Queen siblings.

Thea leaned down and gave Felicity a hug. "Keep in mind what I told you about Dr. Bernstein!" she told her with a smile before she pulled away and went over to hug Oliver goodbye.

"You should bring her to Dinner next week! I'm sure Mom would like to meet her as well."

"All in good time, Speedy. She just arrived here two days ago, there's no need to rush things." Oliver told her firmly before releasing his little sister from the hug

Thea left as quickly as she arrived at the Loft and Felicity could only shake her head slightly with a laugh about the whirlwind of a sister Oliver had. Oliver rounded the couch in a few short steps and pulled her into his embrace. "I missed you" he told her before he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers.

"Well, so that way your sister," Felicity announced after she pulled back from the kiss and sat back on the couch with him. "she's quite a handful, it seems."

"I'm sorry if she bugged you with questions or annoyed you, Felicity. I know she can be crazy nosy sometimes. And I didn't guess she would be coming over tonight."

"Are there any more people who have a key to this Loft? I mean, just so I'm prepared." Felicity joked and Oliver had to laugh.

"No, just her. I gave it to her so she would have a place to crash after a fight with my Mom or going out with her girls. I told her if I catch her drink and driving, I'll whip her ass. So she insisted on having a place to stay in Starling, so she wouldn't have to care about driving home. And I have enough spare rooms, so…" Oliver shrugged.  
Felicity smiled at that. Even though they obviously annoyed each other from time to time, they were still siblings and Oliver would always take care of her. And it made Felicity love him even more.

"Hey, what was Thea talking about when she told you about Dr. Bernstein?" Oliver asked her.

"She told me that he's your personal Doctor or something and that he cured your father's cataract a few years ago and that I should meet him." Felicity shrugged.

"That is a great idea! I completely forgot that!" Oliver suddenly sat straight up on the couch.

"Well it seems your sister has a lot of great ideas." Felicity giggled.

"Oh, by the way, I brought food!" Oliver announced and got up from the couch to walk around to the kitchen where he deposited the large paper bag earlier. "I hope you like Chinese?"

Oliver opened a bottle of wine and arranged everything on the living room table. Felicity's stomach made a loud grumbling sound at the smell of fresh food and when Oliver took a seat next to her, they immediately dived in.

They talked about Dr. Bernstein and all the times he had to stitch up Oliver after he came home from playing a little too hard with Tommy. Felicity listened to him closely, humming at the taste of the delicious food in the container in her hands. Oliver watched her all the time, fascinated that she was able to use chopsticks even with a broken hand, while he busied himself with a fork.

Together they decided to call Dr. Bernstein the next day. Oliver was glad that Felicity so willingly let him help her, especially after what happened with her mother at the last appointment.

They settled on the couch for another hour, Oliver zapping through the TV channels while he kept stroking her hair. Felicity listened to what was spoken on the TV until her eyelids became heavy and she fell asleep on his shoulder. Oliver looked down at her and smiled happily. He shut off the TV and slowly got off the couch, gently lowering her head onto the cushions before he removed the wine glasses and food containers and shut off the lights in the Apartment. He returned to the couch and picked her up in his arms before he started walking up the stairs to their bedroom.

When he laid her on the mattress and made a quick stop at the bathroom, Felicity slowly awoke from the sleep.  
"Oliver?" she whispered into the room, feeling the soft sheets under her body and realizing he must have taken her upstairs. When she heard the bathroom door being shut and a light switch turned, she smiled slightly.

"I'm here," he whispered when he climbed onto the bed next to her and pulled her close to give her a quick kiss. "You fell asleep on the couch, so I figured we should just go to bed." Oliver was ready to remove his clothes when Felicity grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. She wrapped her hand around his neck and pressed her lips onto his firmly. The kiss was deep, passionate, loving.

Oliver immediately responded to it, and started caressing her back, her ass, her hips and finally moved his hand up to cup her breast gently over the Tank Top. Felicity broke the kiss to gasp as he thumbed her nipple over her thin shirt.

He kissed her neck when she leaned her head back, sucking on the skin above her collarbone. Felicity moaned softly as he kissed her nipple over the soft material and sucked on it through the fabric. It puckered under his skilled lips and she arched her back to press her breast deeper into his mouth. She cried out softly as Oliver pulled the Top over her head in one swift move, exposing the sensitive skin before he softly bit her now engorged peak. Her hands got lost in his hair as he swirled his tongue around and around, the nipple ring being jostled with the movements. She moved her right hand down their bodies and caressed his dick over his jeans and Oliver moved his hips in rhythm against her hand.

"Touch me," he rasped with the voice that made Felicity's toes curl.

She quickly unfastened his jeans and wrapped her hand around his hardened length.

After a few minutes, Oliver got off the bed and pulled her up as well. They quickly disposed of their clothing Oliver laid back on the mattress when Felicity got on her knees next to his hips and took him into her mouth, moaning at his taste.

"Oh god, Felicity!" Oliver moaned and pulled at her hips to adjust her legs so that she was straddling his head. He spread her knees slowly, lowering her clit to his mouth and buried his tongue into her swollen pussy. Felicity gasped and moaned against his cock as he sucked her clit hard, kneading her ass and sliding his fingers up and down her thighs. He knew her body well already. He knew how to make her moan and scream in passion. And he did both.

Felicity tried to concentrate on his delicious cock, but his tongue lapping at her clit as he sucked on it made her lose every focus. She felt herself tingling and leaned her head back as her orgasm rushed through her body.

"Oliver!" she cried, trying to pull away, but he held her firm until he sucked every ounce of pleasure out of her.

Oliver pushed her to lay on her right side and moved quickly behind her, grabbing her left leg at the knee, lifting it up in the air. He aligned himself at her entrance and in one swift move he was inside her. He started kissing her neck and shoulder, thrusting slowly in and out. Felicity moaned loudly and met his rhythm enthusiastically, trying to push her hips into his. His movements were deep and deliberate, making her moan with each deep thrust. She grabbed behind her, trying to get ahold of his shoulder as she felt another orgasm building.

"Fuck, Felicity!" he shouted and cursed when Felicity clenched her inner muscles around him, making him go faster until he couldn't hold it back any longer and his cock started throbbing deep inside her. Felicity followed quickly and her muscles clenched around him, milking every last drop out of him.

Oliver held her tightly and nuzzled her neck while they both panted and tried to calm their breathing.  
"I've never done it like that before." Felicity admitted after a few minutes, her voice sounding relaxed and very sleepy.

"Did you like it?" Oliver asked her between soft kisses to her shoulder and neck.

Felicity turned on her back and looked in his direction. A content smile spread across her face and she started scratching her fingernails through the short hair on his neck when she pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

"I love everything you do." she whispered, "but I have to admit, this one was especially good. Not that I mind what you did to me in the shower last night, or against that wall… I think you get what I'm trying to say." Felicity laughed, happy to being able to stop her rambling before it became too intense.

"Oh, I plan to surprise you with a lot more things," he told her in a low voice that made Felicity shiver. "But for now, we need to sleep. Tomorrow morning we'll check with Dr. Bernstein and I believe you wanted to visit your cousin, right?"

Felicity jerked up into a sitting position, almost hitting Oliver's chin with her shoulder.

"Oh frack, I completely forgot to call him and Caitlin! I was going to but then Thea burst through your Apartment door and I somehow got caught up…"

"Hey, just call them tomorrow morning. No big deal!" Oliver smiled and pulled her back onto the mattress. It didn't take Felicity long to fall asleep and after Oliver made a quick run for the kitchen again to grab a bottle of water, he followed her just as fast, as soon as he settled into the sheets next to her.

The next morning was packed for Felicity. After she awoke and hopped into the shower, Oliver helped her change the bandage wrap on her leg and put the walking cast back on. He had a coffee and small breakfast waiting for her downstairs and already made a call to Dr. Bernstein, setting up an appointment for noon.

After relaxing into the kitchen stool and taking a bite of the Muffin that Oliver got her on his morning run, Felicity pulled out her phone and asked it to dial Barry's number. Just before she hit dial, Oliver told her he'd jump in the shower so she could talk to her cousin in private.

When she heard him jog up the stairs, she pressed call.  
After a few rings, Barry answered the phone.  
"Felicity! Glad to see you're still alive! How are you doing?" Barry greeted her with an enthusiastic tone that made Felicity smile.

"I'm fine, great actually. Look, what are doing later today?"

"I have the afternoon off, but I'll probably check a few files at home if the weather won't improve. Why do you ask?" Barry asked her in a slightly confused tone.

"Well, the reason why I call is… I'm in Starling City. And I thought we could meet somewhere?" she smiled into the phone.

"Wait, what? You're in Starling? Where? Since when? Are you with Caitlin or Donna?" Barry blurted out and Felicity could only shake her head at how similar Barry and she were.

"Actually, I'm at my boyfriend's…" Felicity admitted and pulled her lower lip between her teeth, unsure how Barry would react at that. No one except for Caitlin knew about her boyfriend and it was still a very fresh feeling for her every time the word 'boyfriend' left her lips.

"Uhm… okay? When did that happen?" Barry laughed after a few seconds of silence."You know what? Let's meet later for lunch! It's a lot nicer to talk in person and maybe I could even meet him then." Barry offered and Felicity thought about it for a second.

"I'll have to ask him but sure, why not? It's been too long since I've seen you anyway!" Felicity sighed.

"Well, what about Big Belly Burger around 2? Does your boyfriend know where it is?"

"Oh I'm sure we'll find it. See you later then!" Felicity smiled before she ended the call, just when Oliver returned back in the living room, filling the entire Loft with his luscious scent. When he wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his nose in her neck, peppering it with kisses, Felicity moaned slightly.

"Before I lose the ability to speak, we'll have lunch at 2. Do you know where Big Belly Burger is?" she asked him after clearing her throat and ducking away from his ministrations on her neck and ear.

"Of course I know! I've been there a hundred times already. So I'll meet your cousin today?"

"Yep, but I've already met your sister yesterday, too, so…" Felicity waggled his eyebrows at him with a smile.

"Sounds fair. Now let's get ready, we don't want to be late." Oliver grinned before grabbing Felicity firmly at her hips, pulling her off the stool and over his shoulder. Felicity let out a surprised 'eeep' when Oliver started walking through the living room and up to the bedroom, never setting her down. When she started to protest and slapped his butt, Oliver returned the gesture with a slap on hers, giggling like a little boy.

After he threw her on the mattress, Oliver vanished into the closet. When he returned a few moments later, clothes for himself in hand and a bright blue summer dress for Felicity on a hanger, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling from it while she waited for him to return. He loved the sight in front of him. Felicity, the woman that he met weeks ago in Europe, the woman that fascinated him from the first moment, was now sitting on his bed, in nothing but a short sleep shorts and a tank top, smiling contently as if nothing could rock her world. And he loved the sight in front of him.

They quickly got dressed and Oliver even helped her straightening her hair with the flat iron. She insisted doing it herself, but when Oliver saw her fighting with the wire, almost burning her shoulder in the process, he quickly grabbed the iron and started helping her. Felicity patiently waited for him to finish his work, always giving instructions on how to use the iron, and not to burn her hair.

When they left the Apartment, Felicity slid on one of her Panda Flats and hooked her arm in Oliver's. The dress Oliver picked felt good on her skin and with her hair done for the first time in over a week, she felt confident when they arrived at the Lobby and left for the parking garage.

The drive had been surprisingly short and before Felicity could realize what was happening, they were standing in a surprisingly quiet building. Felicity waited for a few seconds, unsure what to do next. When she was about to say something to Oliver, she heard footsteps nearing them.

"Oliver, so nice to see you again!" a male voice coming from the back suddenly spoke up. Both Felicity and Oliver turned and she could feel him taking a step forward, greeting the other person with a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"And you must be Felicity," the man spoke with a friendly voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dr. Bernstein." the man told her and Felicity immediately offered her hand in his direction.

"Thank you. I'm Felicity." she half laughed. It was all Felicity could bring out besides a smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Dr. Bernstein spoke again. "Well why don't you follow me inside my office so we can talk?" he gestured for Oliver to follow him down the Hall to his large private office. Oliver grabbed Felicity's hand and intertwined fingers with her, giving her an assuring squeeze before they he started following Dr. Bernstein into his office.

When everyone took a seat, Dr. Bernstein directed his attention to Felicity.  
"So… Oliver told me you wanted me to have a look at your eyes. But first I would like to know what happened and when it happened, if you're okay with me asking?"  
Felicity shifted slowly in her seat, trying to hide her nervousness, but Oliver immediately sensed that she was uncomfortable. He leaned over to her chair, squeezing her hand in assurance.  
"Hey, it's okay, beautiful. Nothing's going to happen and no one will force you to something you don't want to, okay?"

Oliver's calm voice and his warm hand on hers relaxed her a bit. She nodded slowly to him before she took a deep breath and turned her attention to Dr. Bernstein again.  
"I'm sorry. Normally I'm not like that. But my last Doctor's appointment got a bit out of hand and I tried to avoid anything like that since then." she honestly told him.

"Like Oliver said already, nothing's going to happen. For now I'm just interested to hear how such a beautiful young lady got in such an unfortunate situation." he smiled at her and Felicity visibly relaxed into the chair at Dr. Bernstein's calm and friendly voice.

Felicity explained him everything he needed to know and Dr. Bernstein scribbled some information down on a paper while she spoke. Oliver listened to her closely, never letting go of her hand. After Felicity told the Doctor everything he wanted to know, she sank back into the seat with a relaxed smile on her face.

"Okay Felicity. I'm going to explain now what we can do and you can decide if that would be okay for you or if you don't want that. Everything is your choice." he assured her and Felicity gave him a small smile and nod before he continued speaking. "At first I would like to take a look at your eyes if you don't mind, so I can see for myself how your healing process is going. Then I would need your medical files from the Doctor that treated your injury in Los Angeles. You don't have to do that yourself, I can have my assistants get the files mailed over; I just need to know the name of your Doctor and the Doctor's office. As soon as I have the files, I can compare the original file from a few weeks ago with your current condition and then we can get you very accurate information on your healing process." he smiled at her and Felicity listened closely while he spoke.

"But for now I would like to have a look at your eyes first. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes." Felicity replied confidently and Dr. Bernstein got up and rounded the table to stand in front of her. Felicity removed her sunshades and blinked a few times until she felt a soft, but slightly wrinkled hand tilt her chin upwards.

"Alright, I'm just quickly checking on each eye, try and keep them open as long as you can. If it gets too uncomfortable, just close them or blink a few times. We're in no hurry." he told her and Felicity opened her eyes and looked up at him.

After Dr. Bernstein examined each of her eyes thoroughly and got back to his desk chair to write down a few notes, Felicity put her sunshades back in place. Oliver had been silent since they entered the office, but gave Dr. Bernstein a very worried look.

"Felicity, I can't give you any prognosis yet as I have to check your clinical files first to see how severe the damage has been right after your accident. But from what I've seen your eyes look good so far, except for being a bit too dry. This isn't uncommon though, people that lose their eyesight accommodate to the darkness pretty quickly and focus on other senses, therefore you're not blinking as much as you'd normally do during a day. I'll give you a bottle of eye-drops for that. Just apply them 3 times a day, I'm sure Oliver can help you with that." he smiled at Felicity who listened to him closely. "Other than that you look like a young, healthy Lady to me and I see no need to jump to any early conclusions. Your accident has been a few weeks ago, and being impatient isn't going to help anyone, so that not what we're going to do, right?"

Felicity just nodded and smiled at him.  
"Alright, please let my assistant know the name of your Doctor's office and we'll get your clinical record here as quick as possible. Once I have viewed the files, I'll give Oliver a call and we can set up another appointment. That should be within the next 7 days. Will that work for you?"

"Yes, thank you." Felicity gave him an honest smile before all 3 made it out of the office.

"It was nice to see you again, Oliver. Please send your parents my greetings. Have a lovely day, you two!" Dr. Bernstein told them before he made his way down the hallway. At the main desk, Felicity left the information about her Doctor in LA when the assistant handed Oliver a small bottle of eye-drops.

They made it to the car in silence and Oliver opened the car door for her, letting her slide into the passenger seat.  
On the road to Big Belly Burger Felicity didn't speak a word. At first Oliver thought she was still processing everything Dr. Bernstein told her, but after a while he became nervous.  
"Everything okay? You're so silent, suddenly."

"Yeah, everything's great, actually… I'm just figuring out how to proceed now, after everything Dr. Bernstein told me." Felicity replied, leaning her head into the backrest, looking in Oliver's direction.

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. Bernstein was great, probably the nicest Doctor I have met since the accident. Before him everyone always expected me to silently agree with what they were saying and the treatments they were offering, to not ask questions. I always felt like a human guinea pig for them, and when I actually disagreed with something or didn't like what they offered, they got rude and told me I had no idea but they were working with these diseases on a daily basis. And basically forcing me to trust them isn't the most trustworthy move, I can tell you that." Felicity laughed.

"But Dr. Bernstein is great. I immediately felt save with him and he explained everything so I could easily understand him. Which is why I need to go back to LA as soon as possible." Felicity announced and Oliver's head shot around in confusion.

"What? I can't follow? You just said your Doctors in LA were crap! And I thought you were staying a little longer – "

Felicity cut him off.  
"Oliver, I need to go back soon to cancel my appointments there. And to grab some more clothes. I would love to stay a little longer with you, but I need my medical files and I need some fresh clothes. And I'm sure Caitlin would kill me if I didn't tell her personally." she laughed and Oliver immediately relaxed into the car seat again.

They arrived at Big Belly Burger and Oliver picked a table in the corner, but still visible from the entrance. Oliver slid in first, letting Felicity take the seat next to him in the booth, so Barry would immediately see her once he arrived. They just ordered some drinks and decided to wait for Barry before ordering the food.

"Hey, let's put some eye-drops in, shall we?" Oliver suggested and Felicity agreed. She rummaged through her bag, trying to locate the bottle before she handed it to Oliver and removed her sunshades.

"Look up," Oliver told her while Felicity kept rambling about how much nicer Dr. Bernstein has been than any of her Doctors in Los Angeles are. He applied two drops of the liquid into each of her eyes before he placed a sweet kiss on her nose and put the cap back on the bottle. Felicity blinked twice, spreading the liquid on her eyes before she put her sunshades back on.

After a few minutes Felicity could hear a familiar voice nearing the table.  
"Felicity!"

Her head shot around and scanned the room when a tall young man stopped at their table. Felicity immediately got out of the booth and hugged her cousin. Barry gladly returned the hug and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

It's so good to see you again, it's been too long." he smiled when they pulled away and turned to take a seat in the booth.

Felicity immediately fumbled for Oliver's hand and laced fingers with him before she spoke up.  
"Barry, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is my cousin Barry." she introduced them with a smile.

Oliver let go of her hand and politely shook hands with Barry with a small smile and nod.

"Hey, aren't you the Quarterback of our Football Team?" Barry suddenly spoke up, pointing a finger at Oliver.

"Yeah, I am." Oliver replied, sounding a bit surprised that Barry didn't bring up QC or his not-so-unknown past but immediately went for his Sports Career. "So you're into Football?"

"Oh god, I see where this is going…" Felicity mumbled to herself when both men stopped talking and gave her a look. She looked up in surprise when it got silent around her.  
"What? You guys are talking for a few seconds and already stopped at a typical male topic…" she told them with feigned annoyance. "And trust me, this person, " she said, pointing a finger in Barry's direction, "isn't into any kinds of Sports besides watching women's Tennis on the TV." she laughed and Oliver snorted. "A few years ago he broke his foot while playing Golf; I mean… can you believe it? Do people even move at that Sport?" she grinned and Oliver had to suppress a laugh at that.  
"Excuse me, young Lady? I'm sitting over here!" Barry pouted, which made Felicity laugh even more.

For another two hours they ate Burgers, drank multiple Milkshakes and casually talked about Barry's Job and Felicity's life since the accident. Felicity told Barry how Oliver and her met in Marbella and that she planned on staying in Starling City for a while. Oliver didn't speak much, but enjoyed listening to Felicity talk so casually and relaxed to a person that was close to her. He had seen her interact with Caitlin, but Barry was actual family. And he hadn't met any of her family members until now, so he was enjoying the Lunch date with Barry just as much as she did.

When Barry checked his watch and realized it was almost 4 in the afternoon, he apologized for ending the Lunch Date so soon and told her his coworker Iris would be coming over later to work on a case with him and he still had to clean up the messy Apartment. Felicity laughed at that, remembering the messy rooms Barry always left when they were kids.

They made sure to stay in touch so they could arrange another Date in the near future. Barry hugged her goodbye and shook Olivers hand before he left the Diner.  
"He seems like a nice guy." Oliver spoke up.

"He is." Felicity smiled. And besides my Mom he's the only family I have left, so I'm glad I can see him more often now." She remembered the times Barry and her ran around as little kids, stealing cookies from the kitchen and spending entire afternoons in the tree house in the backyard. "What do you think, should we head home as well? We still need to work through the contract details of yours and I wanted to check on a flight to LA." she looked up at Oliver and wrapped her arms around his neck while she spoke.

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled down at her before pecking her lips softly with his. "I'll just make a quick run for the restroom and we can head out."

Felicity waited for Oliver to return from the restroom so they could head back home for a relaxed evening on the couch. After she put her phone back in her bag and pulled on her coat she got out of the booth when suddenly two strong arms came up around her from behind. Her nose was being invaded with an unfamiliar, male perfume when two large hands grabbed her at the waist, swiping her off her feet and pure panic started to flood her.


	15. unexpected turns

Felicity waited for Oliver to return from the restroom so they could head back home for a relaxed evening on the couch. After she put her phone back in her bag and pulled on her coat she got out of the booth when suddenly two strong arms came up around her from behind. Her nose was being invaded with an unfamiliar, male perfume when two large hands grabbed her at the waist, swiping her off her feet and pure panic started to flood her.

Felicity froze in panic. After being swiped off her feet by that stranger swinging her around like she weighed nothing, she didn't know what to do. Just when she was ready to scream in panic, the stranger holding her up started to speak.  
"Felicity! What are you doing in Starling City and why the hell didn't you call?"

Weird. He didn't sound like a creeper or like he wanted to abduct her. And he knew her name, which freaked her out even more. His voice sounded slightly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.  
"Put me down!" she told the stranger, probably not in the nicest tone, but since that person literally swiped her off her feet without a word, she felt like she had every right to be sulky. She could feel her feet touch the ground again when she took a few steps away from the stranger, straightened out her dress with her hands and was about to give that man an earful, when suddenly Oliver returned from the restrooms.

"Tommy, what are you doing here?"

Felicity's head shot around, facing Oliver, before it shot back to the person standing in front of her.  
"Tommy?" she suddenly spoke up with a very surprised voice.

"The one and only." he grinned. "Sorry if I scared you." he apologized and pulled her into a hug.

"So? What are you doing in Starling City? Besides hiding from Laurel and me…" he joked.

"I just arrived here two days ago, so I'm not hiding from you." she smiled at him. "I had a slight disagreement with my Mom and Oliver picked me up and took me here." she shrugged, trying not to give the fight with her mother too much of a thought.

"Well you certainly look good. Starling does you well… or maybe it's that well-toned, broody giant standing behind you." Tommy smirked at her.

"I don't have much time, Laurel's waiting at home. But now that you're here, we need to set up a Dinner Date. Soon." Tommy told them firmly, pointing a warning finger in Oliver's direction.

"Absolutely." Felicity replied. "Just please no _'Dinner in the Dark'_ again." she added and all 3 started to laugh at the memory.

"Perfect. You call me buddy, and we'll set a date!" Tommy kissed Felicity's cheek and gave Oliver a quick pat on the shoulder before he made his way to the counter to pick up the take-out food he had ordered.

"Will do. And send Laurel our greetings!" Oliver told him before he interlaced his fingers with Felicity's and started heading towards the Exit.

Back at the Loft Felicity and Oliver worked through the contract details once more, trying to find any loophole to get out of it without any harm to Oliver's reputation. When they didn't get any further after several hours of reading and brainstorming, Felicity let out an exhausted sigh and decided to drop the topic for the evening.

Oliver offered to drive her to LA the next day so she could meet with her Doctors and Caitlin and also pick up some more clothes.  
She was excited to see Caitlin again. Even though she loved being around Oliver all the time, she missed her best friend. Caitlin had been like her rock since the accident, helping her out no matter what, always being there for her. She was sad that there were a few hundred miles between them now, but at least she would get to see her friend again the next day.

When they arrived in LA and told Caitlin about her plans on staying in Starling City for a little longer, Caitlin couldn't hide the sadness that covered her face. Oliver once again offered a place for her in his Loft whenever she wanted to visit and Caitlin gave him a warm smile at that. Felicity felt bad, leaving her best friend alone in Los Angeles, after everything that Caitlin had done for her in the last few weeks.

"Don't worry too much, Fee." Caitlin told her, taking her hands in hers, "If the Doctor is as good as he makes you feel and you have an actual chance at improving your healing process, then go for it! And you can spend time with your boyfriend, who wouldn't want to do that? But I will miss you nonetheless." she admitted and Felicity pulled her into a warm hug.

Together they packed all the stuff Felicity told them she wanted with her in Starling City and loaded Oliver's car with the bags.

"The offer still stands, we can get you a plane ticket at any time and there's always a room in the Loft for you." Oliver told Caitlin when they were hugging goodbye so Felicity would meet it to the Doctors in time before closing hours.

"Thanks for the offer; I'll keep that in mind. But with Ronnie and me becoming a bit more serious lately, I'm not sure I have time for that." Caitlin grinned and Felicity smiled at her.  
"It's so awesome to see you dating again, Cait! And Ronnie's a good guy."

"Thanks, Fee. Now go, before you miss the Doctor's!" Caitlin ushered them into the car. "And promise to call me at least every few days!" she warned her when Felicity took the passenger seat and was about to close the door.

They made it to the Doctor's just in time.  
To say her Doctor looked surprised when Felicity announced she would be canceling all future treatments and decided to work with a different Doctor, would be a huge understatement. She kept a confident smile plastered on her face all the time (mentally trying to tell him 'Fuck you' with it – and she hoped it worked!), he didn't reply anything to that and pretty much handed her the medical files without a word, just wishing her all the best for the future.

Oliver gave Felicity a very detailed description of the Doctor's face as soon as they sat in the car and drove to the next Doctor on her list. It made her laugh 2 full minutes, glad that she got to pay at least a small revenge to that Doctor.

Felicity was in a much lighter mood by now; after saying goodbye to Caitlin for a while and cutting off her eye-doctor, she now only had to tell her family physician that she would continue treatments for her leg and hand somewhere else – and luckily, she liked that Doctor a lot more and was even a bit sad to leave him behind.

When they returned back home in Starling City late in the evening, both Oliver and Felicity fell to bed almost immediately. The long drives had been exhausting to them, and Felicity didn't bother unpacking any of her bags until the next morning.

When Oliver left for another early Training Session at the Starling Archers, he handed her a huge load of metal hangers for all her dresses and blouses and Felicity spent the morning getting all her clothes sorted out and putting them into her spot in the closet.

By the time he returned, she had finished almost 2 bags and Oliver loved the sight of her bright colored dresses hanging next to his white and blue dress shirts. By now, Felicity had left her mark nearly everywhere in his Loft and Oliver just enjoyed coming home a lot more than he did in the past. Her Panda flats and another pair of Flip Flops were sitting next to his running shoes in the hallway; her bright pink blanket thrown over his light grey couch; her beauty supplies all over the bathroom and shower. Since he moved into the Loft it always looked clean and futuristic, but kind of lifeless as well. Now, it almost looked and felt like an Apartment a real couple shared. And he loved every bit of it.

The next week went by in a frenzy. Oliver had Training Sessions and Team Meetings almost every day. With the new Sponsor getting them into the NFL again, the entire Team needed to get back in shape quickly. That meant less time he could spend with Felicity, but she didn't mind one bit. Felicity was glad that Oliver could finally go out and play again, since he constantly told her how much he missed it. She, on the other hand, found a great couch buddy in his little sister Thea.

Thea came over to the Loft almost every day now, either to further discuss the wedding gift plans for Laurel and Tommy, or just to hang out with Felicity whenever Oliver had to leave for another Training session. She loved to tell Felicity embarrassing stories about Oliver when he was little and Felicity never laughed so much in her entire life. She also insisted on going shopping with Felicity and forced her to agree on a Mani / Pedi day as soon as her casts were gone completely, which Felicity gratefully accepted. Felicity even started calling Thea on her own. Whenever Oliver had to leave for an early Training Session, she called her over for girls' breakfast.

Thea was happy to leave the Mansion as often as she could. Neither Oliver nor Thea talked much about their parents and Felicity never asked anything about it, but she could feel that the relationship to their parents wasn't the best one. But who was she to judge? She hadn't talked to her mother since the incident at the Doctor's almost 2 weeks ago, and she had no plans to do so in the near future.  
The connection to her mother Donna had always been a bit restrained. Felicity never liked to move around every few months when Donna met a new guy or found a new Job; she never liked growing up in Vegas and being left alone almost all day, but she never complained about anything. And when she went to College and left her Mother, the relationship became a lot better. Felicity could decide whenever she wanted to talk to her mother with a simple call and Donna didn't get to snoop around in Felicity's life that much anymore due to the distance.  
But since she broke up with Cooper and her mother flat-out asked her if Felicity was sure it wasn't her own fault in some way, the relationship took a deep hit.  
Felicity didn't talk to Donna for several weeks after that and even sent her away when she awoke in the hospital and could hear her mother's voice in the room. Donna reluctantly left, after telling her she was sorry about what she said to Felicity.  
Felicity ignored her, and the next weeks Donna tried her best to re-connect with her daughter. When Felicity left for Marbella, they were on an almost-daily speaking basis again, but Felicity always kept a distance to her mother, still feeling deeply affected by what Donna implied about the break-up with Cooper. The incident with her Doctor 2 weeks ago now was another low blow Felicity had taken from her mother, and this time she was sure not to forgive her as quickly.

They only ran into Isabel once while they went into the City to grab Lunch, and luckily Isabel didn't seem to be in the mood for much of a conversation. Felicity never said anything to the woman and kept an arrogant smile plastered on her face all the time, but Oliver let her know that they still expected to hear from her with an idea how to solve their _'contractual problem'_ to which Isabel just gave a snotty reply and then quickly left the scene.

Laurel and Tommy came over to the Loft one evening for a visit as well.  
Tommy and Oliver cut the Pizza they had brought and Laurel told Felicity she was a brave woman if she really decided to keep up with Oliver. Felicity laughed at that and enjoyed spending the evening with Oliver's two best friends on the couch.  
Talking to them felt a lot more relaxed than it had felt back in Marbella; and even then Felicity was surprised how well Oliver's friends got along with her – or how well she got along with them. She was never one to have a hard time meeting new friends, but since the accident Felicity struggled with it a lot. Especially when she felt people judging or pitying her. Tommy and Laurel did neither, and Felicity was very grateful for that back then. Now that they sat on Oliver's couch together and talked about the upcoming wedding, it felt as if she'd known these two people for months already – years, probably.

Felicity told them about the incident with her Mother and her Doctor and both Laurel and Tommy applauded her for deciding the way she did. Tommy knew Dr. Bernstein well; not only Oliver got patched up by him several times but Tommy as well. Laurel told Felicity about her Dad and the problems she had with him from time to time and assured her it'll get worse before it gets better.  
Felicity could only smile and laugh at that because it summed up pretty much what she endured with her own mother.

Laurel and Tommy left late in the evening after setting up a date for Dinner at the new Italian Restaurant by the end of the week. Felicity and Oliver gladly accepted and when Oliver patted Tommy goodbye, his best friend leaned in and told Oliver in a low voice "That woman is a keeper, don't screw it up, Queen!"

When Oliver received a call from Dr. Bernstein a few days later, Felicity got nervous. The Doctor didn't tell much over the phone; he just asked them to come into his office on Monday so they could have a look at the files together. Oliver assured her that everything was fine and that Dr. Bernstein would have called them into his office immediately if something was wrong.  
"You're probably right," Felicity answered, "and what is waiting for a few more days after I had to wait for so long now?" she shrugged and Oliver pulled her in for a hug.

That day, Oliver decided to distract her a bit by going shopping with her. Felicity told him she wasn't sure what to wear to Dinner with Tommy and Laurel and Oliver decided to go out and buy a new dress with her. When they arrived at the Boutique Felicity got out of the car, still protesting that she wasn't sure she should trust Oliver's judgement on something like an evening gown.  
"That's why I called her." Oliver only replied with a smile when a squealing, giggly Thea wrapped her arms around Felicity's neck and pulled her into a hug.  
"I'm just the one with the credit card; you girls do all the rest." Oliver just added when they made their way into the Boutique.

Felicity found the perfect black dress. At least that's what Thea told her. And judging by Oliver's cough and silence following after she emerged from the changing room, she guessed it must be perfect. The knee-long, tight black dress with subtle cutouts on the ribs felt great on her skin, her exposed back revealing tattooed wings and a lot of skin that left little to the imagination. Thea almost looked shocked when she saw the tattooed wings on Felicity's back for the first time and immediately started bugging Oliver to pursue their mother to allow Thea a Tattoo as well.

"You know I never asked if you have any Tattoos?!" Felicity suddenly spoke up and ended the heated discussion about Tattoos and Piercings for underage people that the Queen siblings currently were in.  
"Good thing you're blind, Fee, so you won't have to see the horrible tramp stamp your boyfriend sports above his ass!" Thea spoke up before Oliver could say anything and Felicity gave him a very surprised look.  
Thea had to pay for her dress herself after that statement and Oliver threatened to take away her key to the Loft if she kept on talking like that. Felicity giggled and Thea dropped the topic.

When Oliver and Felicity got themselves ready for Dinner a day later, Oliver helped her curling her blonde locks into slight waves. He also wrapped her wrist in a black bandage to match her dress, and when she emerged from the bathroom after putting on a slight lip gloss, Oliver's eyes lit up. She looked incredible, even in her walking cast and a flat shoe. She surprised him when she decided to drop the sunshades for Dinner since the sun had set anyway, and when they entered the Restaurant, approaching a waiting Laurel and Tommy on the large round table, their eyes lit up as well.

"You look beautiful," Tommy told her when he pulled Felicity in for a hug and gave her a peck on the cheek. Laurel also complimented her on the dress before they all took a seat for the evening.

"Is your eyesight getting better? I don't think I have seen you without your sunshades yet. You have lovely eyes, by the way." Tommy told her and Felicity bowed her head and blushed at that.

They spent the evening talking about the upcoming wedding and Felicity smiled and laughed when Laurel excitedly told her about her dress and all the preparations they had already taken care of. When Tommy and Laurel once again got in an argument about the choice of flowers, Oliver gently squeezed her hand and gave it a kiss.

"We should invite Felicity to the wedding!" Laurel suddenly announced to her fiancée, and both Oliver and Felicity froze at that. Oliver, because he loved the idea and contemplated on asking Tommy himself for quite a while now. Felicity, because she wasn't sure if she should attend a wedding of two people that she just met weeks ago, even though she was in a relationship with their best friend.

"This is a brilliant idea!" Tommy announced and focused his attention on Oliver. "And since I know that your Plus 1 isn't filled yet, I'm sure you'll agree with me, buddy."

Before Oliver could reply, Felicity spoke up.  
"This is an honor, it really is, but… I'm not sure if this is a good idea? I mean, I just met you guys a few weeks ago and you already have the entire wedding planned out. I don't want you to add any more trouble on top of that – "

"Felicity, you're Ollie's girlfriend and already a friend of ours, too. Of course we would want to have you at our wedding!" Laurel piped up. "Besides, I could definitely need a shopping buddy in the next weeks. Pretty please?"

Felicity was taken aback by Laurel's statement. Within minutes they not only included her into the Wedding guest list, now Laurel was asking her to go shopping with her as well. She was overwhelmed to say the least, and Laurel must have sensed it.

"I mean… only if you're okay with it of course." Laurel said and pulled Felicity out of her thoughts. "If you don't feel comfortable then I will understand. But I would be happy if you'd agree."

Felicity could hear the sincerity in her voice and it took away a bit of her nervousness about the whole situation. Felicity promised them both to think about it and to let them know soon.

Tommy turned the conversation to a lighter topic then and told Oliver and Felicity about their Honeymoon plans when suddenly their food arrived.  
They ate in silence mostly and Felicity handled the Steak she ordered surprisingly well. Every time Oliver wanted to cut in and help her she refused, telling him she was a big girl and needed to work through this on her own. Besides some fries that landed on the tablecloth, she did surprisingly well.

Their plates had been removed and they were waiting for Dessert to be served, when suddenly Oliver's phone started buzzing. He quickly pulled it out of his jacket to check who might be calling at that time. When he saw the caller, he froze for a second and quickly excused himself from the table before heading out of the Restaurant to take the call. When he returned to the table a few minutes later, Laurel and Felicity were casually talking about the worst things that could happen at a wedding. Everyone was laughing and giggling when Felicity talked about an incident at her mother's 2nd wedding where the groom wanted to throw Donna over the shoulder and carry her inside, but tumbled backwards and toppled into the Pool with the bride over his shoulders.

"For the record, you're NOT going to carry me around during the Party, Tommy." Laurel waved a warning finger at her fiancée and Tommy just cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Not even over the threshold and into the bedroom?" he purred and earned a slap on his arm from Laurel at that.

"Tommy! That's so not the right topic to talk over Dinner with our friends!" she laughed but tried to keep a warning tone so he would take the note.

"Oh I don't mind at all." Felicity laughed. "In fact, I'm sure I've embarrassed myself to no end over Thea already by telling her sexual stuff about me and her brother that I'm sure she never wants to know, so feel free to do so yourself. I can take it." she half mumbled with a grin and Tommy and Laurel both burst out laughing. That was when Oliver returned to the table.

Everyone was laughing and Tommy still tried to catch his breath, when Oliver took a seat next to Felicity again, all tensed up and a lot more quiet than he was before he left the table to take the call. Felicity immediately sensed his stiffness when she placed her hand on his thigh and leaned into his side to whisper in his ear.

"Is everything alright?"

It took Oliver a few seconds to reply and when she squeezed his thigh assuringly, he just gave her a quick nod.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry I just got distracted for a moment." He turned his head and gave her a sweet, quick kiss on the lips before turning his attention back to Laurel and Tommy again.

"Who called? Normally you ignore your phone whenever we're out for Dinner…" Tommy asked him after wiping his mouth with a napkin, reaching for his wine glass.

"Oh, just work stuff." Oliver quickly threw in. "You know, with getting back in the League soon there's still a lot of things to catch up on."

"And they call you at – " Tommy looked down, checking his watch, "9.45pm? Geez, do you have any time off? Fee, do you get to see him at all?" he joked and Felicity just smiled at him. Oliver gave a forced laugh as well and tried to engage in the conversation for the rest of the evening as good as possible, but Felicity could sense that something was off.

The evening ended late at night with Laurel setting up a time to pick up Felicity for shopping and Tommy forcing her to have breakfast at their place soon. They all hugged goodbye and made their way home.

As soon as Felicity got seated in the passenger seat of the Porsche and Oliver took the driver's seat, her head whipped around to him.

"Okay, what's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing, because your tension sure doesn't feel like nothing to me. You were barely talking since you returned after taking that call and I'm sure if I'd ask Laurel she'd tell me that you didn't smile either. So I'm asking you again, what is wrong?" she asked him with a firm voice that was very new to Oliver. He had never seen her like that before. Determined and a little bit angry, but still sexy as hell. She crossed her arms over her chest and had her entire body turned in his direction while she waited for a reply from him.

Oliver took a deep breath before he replied. They were still sitting in the parking lot of the Restaurant and he would have preferred to talk about that at home, but one look at Felicity's stoney face told him that it would be a bad idea trying to drop the topic for now and just start the engine. So he replied.

"The call… that was the Manager of the Coast City Falcons."

"What? But there's still time! We still have another week until they want a decision!" Felicity interrupted him, the anger in her face immediately replaced with worry.

"That's the thing… he called me to let me know the contract has been annulled and that he wishes me all the best for my career."

Felicity looked at him completely dumbfounded and in shock. Could this be true? They wouldn't have to worry any more about making a decision or risking Oliver's career in any way. Heck, Felicity would have even moved to Coast City with Oliver if that'd have kept him away from any trouble. But she knew that this never was what Oliver wanted. Coast City would only have been a compromise he would have made when he was with Isabel, and Felicity didn't want him to make any compromises.  
"Did he say anything else?"

"Not really. I asked him where the sudden change came from and he just told me that things got handled and I wouldn't have to fulfill the contract anymore." Oliver shrugged, clearly out of ideas.

"That sounds almost too good to be true." Felicity told him and Oliver couldn't agree more.

"Yeah that's what I thought, too, especially when you consider how much they wanted to force me into their Team with this contract just a few weeks ago."

"Maybe they found a replacement for you? Or they could that other Quarterback back into the Team?" Felicity asked him but Oliver just shook his head.

"Maybe, but then they would have made me pay the fine. And he never said a thing about the money on the phone." Oliver sighed and rubbed his forehead with his palm, trying to soothe the wrinkles that formed there.

"Let's get home; I think you'll need a glass of wine. And god help me, so do I." Felicity half laughed.

"I'm going to need something stronger tonight." Oliver mumbled when he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

They arrived back home within minutes. As soon as they entered the Loft, Felicity plopped onto the couch with a loud exhale while Oliver went to the bar and poured them both a glass of Whiskey. When he came back and handed her one tumbler, he pulled her off the couch to stand in front of him.

"To us; to 2 months with the most amazing, beautiful, intelligent woman I have ever met; to a wedding where you'll officially be my Plus 1 – and I'm not going to take no for an answer and neither will Tommy nor Laurel! – " Oliver pointed at her with his glass and a sweet, warning tone in his voice, " to the contract that's finally off the table; to my Team that's soon going to play in the NFL again; to Dr. Bernstein who helps us treating your injuries; … and to you, for making me feel like the luckiest man in the world." he said before he clinked glasses with Felicity. She just smiled at him, taking in everything he told her. After a few moments she lifted the glass to her lips and took a gulp.

"Jesus, what is this! Kerosine?" she coughed and pushed the glass into his chest so he could take it from her.

"It's Whiskey, I thought it would be fitting for tonight." Oliver chuckled at her reaction.

"Yeah, if you want me to pass out after half a glass so you can drag me upstairs and have your way with me without noticing, then I'm sure this drink would be fitting." she rambled while she made her way to the kitchen, fumbling through his wine cooler, trying to find something more fitting for her. When she pulled out the first bottle that she got ahold of and placed it on the counter in front of her, she sent Oliver an expecting look.

"Are you going to force me opening that bottle myself? Because I swear to god Oliver, if I can find a corkscrew on my own in your kitchen AND manage to get this bottle opened you won't see a drop of this lovely – " she lifted the bottle and looked at the label expectantly before looking at him again, "what is it?"

"Merlot," Oliver laughed.

"Well then you won't see a single drop of this lovely Merlot." Felicity looked at him, a wide grin plastered on her face, gesturing around the bottle with her other hand. Oliver just smiled and shook his head in disbelieve before he downed his Whiskey and made his way over to the kitchen counter. He took the bottle and corkscrew out of her hands and opened it. When he pulled two glasses from the overhead shelves he took the bottle and filled them, pouring Felicity a lot more than himself. He knew too well that Whiskey and Wine didn't mix well, and if he didn't want to pass out on the couch this night, he needed to cut down on the wine a bit. 3 Scotch at the Restaurant and the one at home should be enough for the night.

Oliver brought the glasses and bottle over to the couch and set them on the TV table. While Felicity made her way over to the couch, a lot faster than the first time she roamed around his room, he noticed with a smile, Oliver took off his suit jacket that he still wore since they left the Restaurant.

When they got comfortable on the couch and Felicity hummed with contentment after taking the first sip of her wine, Oliver pulled her closer to his side and rested her feet in his lap, taking off her walking case so he could massage her feet.

"I could get used to this." Felicity hummed when Oliver's skilled fingers slowly kneaded over each single toe before moving on to the ball of her feet. Oliver just laughed slightly.

"Do you think Isabel could have something to do with it?" Felicity asked him after a few minutes of enjoyable silence, ripping his attention away from her feet.

"I thought about that, too, but I doubt it. She doesn't have the financial opportunities to pay the penalty fine and there's no other way to get out of it, so… I honestly have no idea." he sighed.

"But you think there's something off?" he asked him tentatively.

"Well, like you said… letting the contract drop without any further discussion sounds a bit too good to be true. But maybe I'm just paranoid? Maybe they realized that forcing me into their Team wouldn't help them at all?" Oliver shrugged and downed his glass of wine.

Felicity scooted closer to him until she was fully seated in his lap after she set her glass on the table.

"I think it's good to be cautious, and I agree with you that this is kind of weird." She smiled at him and put his face in her hands. "But I need you to worry a little less about it, okay? There are more important things to focus on right now – like your Training." She gave him a sweet few pecks on the lips before she spoke again.

"Here's what we'll do… tomorrow we'll call the Manager again, asking him to send a written confirmation that the contract has been terminated and you can't be forced into action by them in any kind in the future. If your contract really has been 'taken care of' as they told you, I'm sure they won't have a problem sending a letter." she smiled at him and Oliver looked at her with utter fascination and admiration.

"You're incredible, have I told you that lately?"

"Not today." She grinned at him and Oliver pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

She pulled back after a few moments to take a breath before she spoke again.  
"There's one more thing we need to do, and you're not going to like it." she told him, nervously biting her lower lip.

"What is it?" he asked her, a confused look on his face.

"We have to talk to a lawyer."

"Felicity, I told you I can't do that." he cut her off but she raised her hand and stopped him before he could speak any further.

"Hear me out. We need to get this contract and the written confirmation looked over professionally to make sure they can't sue you in the future. And we both don't have the lawyerly knowledge to do that on our own. So we need help. I know a very trustworthy lawyer, a very discreet one at that. And he still owes me a favor. So we'll call her as soon as we have that written confirmation in hand and will have her look it over." Felicity told him with a firm voice that left no room for objection.

"Her?"

"Seriously, Oliver? That's all you've heard from what I just told you?" she cocked an eyebrow at him.

Oliver huffed a laugh at that. "No, sorry. I just don't think it's a good idea… if anything of this leaks through to the media, Felicity – "

"It won't, trust me. Helena wouldn't want to risk her own reputation and she knows that I know some delicate things about her, so even if she would consider tipping the press – which she won't – she knows that I could ruin her career as a lawyer as fast as she could ruin you. And her reputation is as precious to her as yours is to you. So I'd say she's the perfect person for our problem." Felicity smiled at him before she turned around, fished for her wine glass on the table and took a large gulp.

"Our problem?" Oliver asked her confused.

"Well since you and I are in a relationship, this is very much my problem as it is yours." She smiled at him after setting the empty wine glass back on the table.

Oliver pulled her in for a sweet kiss that quickly turned into something passionate. He started fumbling for the zipper of her dress and slowly pulled it down.

"I know something else that is ours." he mumbled into her mouth when he pulled the straps of her dress over her shoulders.

"And what would that be, Mister Queen?" she asked him an a low and sultry voice.

"Our bed." he whispered into her neck before he picked her up bridal style and made his way to the stairway.  
Everything else could be taken care of the next day.


	16. Revelations

Felicity was the first to wake up, which was highly unusual for her. Normally Oliver was the one waking up first, and usually he slipped out of bed without her noticing it and surprised her with breakfast before he had to head out for Training.  
This morning though, a large heavy body propped over her, pushing her into the mattress. A soft snoring sound came from the pillow next to her and Felicity couldn't help but giggle, even though the heavy chest and arms almost crushed her.

When the snoring stopped and she felt the weight of the other body slowly move off her, Felicity gently slipped out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom.  
She took her time getting ready for the day, and when she got back to the bedroom, the room was completely silent. She couldn't hear any sounds indicating that Oliver was still in bed or even getting dressed, so Felicity guessed he already headed downstairs to make breakfast. When she feeled her way to the walk-in closet, careful not to put any weight on her foot while the walking cast wasn't on yet, she tried to locate the drawer with her underwear. When she grabbed the first pair of bra and panties she could get ahold of and made her way back to the edge of the bed to put everything on, two strong arms suddenly gripped her from behind, pulling her back onto the mattress and Felicity let out a surprised squeal.

"You're not getting dressed." a sleepy voice mumbled into her neck before burying his nose into it.

"Oliver, how are you still in this room? I thought you were downstairs already." Felicity laughed while she tried to free herself from his grip.

"That's my Ninja skills." he proudly announced and Felicity could just roll her eyes with a snort.

"We have to get up – and get dressed! Or do you want me to leave your Apartment naked like the day I was born?" she grinned at him, craning her neck up so he could see her wide smile.

"There's no way in hell anyone gets to see you like that!" Oliver half growled before he sat up and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

They made it downstairs together and Felicity took a seat on her kitchen stool while Oliver prepared the breakfast for them. She loved listening to him, knowing him around her, smelling his masculine scent and hearing his voice when he talked to her. And in moments like these she so much hated being blind, not for once being able to see his face.

After a few moments she let out a small sigh and Oliver carefully watched her.  
"Everything alright?" he asked her while he took a sip of his coffee.

Felicity gave him a casual smile. "Yeah… I just got caught in my head for a minute."  
"So... will you call the Coast City Manager later to ask for that letter of confirmation?" she asked him and wrapped her fingers around the coffee mug.

"Yeah, the sooner we get over with it the better. Do you still think it's a good idea to call that lawyer of yours?" he asked her slightly hesitating.

"Yes I do, Oliver. We're not going to risk your career by trusting that Manager blindly. You said so yourself… something smells fishy. And I agree with you. Which is why we need to consult a professional lawyer with this." she smiled at him.

Oliver took care of the dishes when Felicity settled down on the couch, fumbling around with her phone.  
"Helena? Hey, this is Felicity… yeah I know, it's been a while… oh I'm fine, I just moved to Starling City… look, I need your help with something… no, no, nothing happened, I just need a lawyerly advice from you on something… I don't know, any time next week?... wait, I'll quickly check my schedule…" she muted her phone and turned her attention to the kitchen.

"Would Wednesday afternoon work? The letter from the Manager should be here by then. Helena is pretty packed after that…"

"Wednesday works fine." he assured her.

"Helena? Yeah, I just checked; Wednesday afternoon works just fine… Alright, see you then."

"So, that is settled." Felicity smiled at him when she put the phone on the coffee table in front of her. "Now it's your turn."

Just at that moment, Oliver's phone started ringing. Oliver let a deep sigh when he saw the caller ID and it took a few moments before he answered the call.  
"Dad." The word came out more as a statement than a greeting.

Felicity couldn't make out much of the conversation and Oliver kept his replies as short as possible, but she wondered what must have happened between Oliver and his father to have such a restrained connection. She hadn't met any of his parents yet, but even if Thea and Oliver barely spoke of their parents, they had at least told Felicity about their mother Moira. Their father though? Felicity couldn't remember hearing Thea talk about him at all and Oliver only spoke about him once or twice because Felicity asked him about him. And now that she could hear the two men talking, it gave her a good idea on how tense their relationship really must be.

The call ended as quick as it started and Felicity could hear Oliver round the kitchen counter and take a seat next to her.  
"My father wants me to join him for the Starling City Art Charity in 2 weeks. Apparently my parents have several paintings for sale and the presence of the entire Queen family is obligatory." he sighed and slumped back into the cushions.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Felicity told him with a smile. "And Thea's with you, so you won't be on your own. I'm sure it's going to be fine."

"Would you like to join me?" Oliver suddenly asked her and Felicity tensed next to him.

"Oliver… I don't know your family at all... except for Thea, of course. And I don't think a Party would be the best place to introduce me. Besides, I don't think an Art Gallery would be the place to be for a blind person." she laughed but Oliver remained tense.

"I would really love to have you by my side then." he tried again.

Felicity sat up straight next to him. "Oliver… I wasn't interested in Art Galleries when I still had my eyesight, and back then I didn't have to meet my parents in law at such an Event. Do you really want me to accompany you to such a Gala only because you don't want to face the wrath of your parents on your own?" she asked him with a serious tone and Oliver only sighed next to her.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Such an Event really isn't the best place to meet my parents. I would just have loved to have you there with me." he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

He let the call from his father sink in a few more minutes before he picked up the phone again and dialed the number of the Coast City Manager. Felicity listened closely while Oliver spoke to the man on the other line. The call didn't last long and from what Felicity could make out, the other man sounded friendly and very helpful. Something that surprised her a bit.  
The man promised to send the letter as soon as possible and wished Oliver all the best for his career again before he ended the call.  
"This is still really confusing." Oliver admitted after he put the phone back into his pocket. "But at least he didn't change his mind or something." he shrugged.

"Maybe we're just being too leery of the entire situation and they really just changed their mind. Or maybe they realized they won't be able to win any games with a Quarterback that had been forced into their Team…" Felicity shrugged. "Either way, we'll be on the safe side as soon as the letter arrives here and we have taken everything to Helena." she smiled at him.

After having to spend the Saturday morning with annoying calls, Oliver decided to spend the rest of the weekend on the couch with Felicity. The weather outside wasn't improving anyway, so Oliver decided to order some food and enjoy the afternoon with his girlfriend. His Monday was package with appointments and training anyway, so he decided to make the most out of his two free days with Felicity.

As soon as the weekend was over, Oliver and Felicity were caught up in appointments again.  
First thing on their timetable after Oliver returned from his early Training, was a visit at Dr. Bernstein's office. Felicity had been on edge the entire morning because of it, and even Oliver's reassuring words and gentle squeezes of her hand didn't help her calm her nerves. She was nervous to hear what the Dr. had to say and if there had been any improvement to her eve condition at all.

As soon as they entered Dr. Bernstein's office, Felicity took a seat, but nervously moved around the seat. When Dr. Bernstein entered and greeted them both and took a seat opposite of them, Felicity almost got crazy with nervousness.

"Oliver, Felicity." he greeted them with a smile in his voice that let Felicity calm a tiny bit. "I received the medical files and compared them with the examination results from last week. So far it seems your eyes are recovering faster than I would have anticipated." Felicity held Oliver's hand in a death grip the entire time Dr. Bernstein spoke. As soon as she heard the words from him, she visibly relaxed. "As for the surgical treatment that you have been offered, from my point of view I can tell you that I don't see this necessary. As long as the body can heal itself, I don't see a reason to speed up the process with any kind of surgery. However, Felicity, you need to be patient for a while longer I'm afraid. Given the amount of time that has passed since the accident and the way your eyesight has improved since then, I'd say it can be several more months until you'd have your full eyesight back."

"But it won't just come back one day, right? I mean, will I wake up one day and be able to see again like before?" Felicity asked him, clearly confused.

"No, that's not how this works I'm afraid." Dr. Bernstein laughed.

"You told me you can make out bright and dark colors already. That's usually the first step. The next step will be seeing full colors again, and another few weeks until you'll be able to make out shapes and forms. And from that it's just a few more steps until you're fully healed again. But like I said, all that will take time."

"Anything we can do to improve the situation or speed up the healing process?" Oliver suddenly piped in.

"Indeed. Keep applying the eye drops 3 times a day and try to use your eyes as normal as possible, meaning opening and closing them like you normally would, even if you can't see. And keep wearing the sunshades every time you're facing the sunlight, just so your eyes won't get blended. If you're following these steps and keep an eye on your overall health I'm sure we'll see an improvement soon." Dr. Bernstein told them and Felicity gave him a small smile.

"Well at least no bad news." she mumbled and Dr. Bernstein let out a small laugh.

"Felicity, you have to understand that this is a great improvement. Normally patients with that kind of injury take up to a year until they can see lights and colors again. Your eyes are healing pretty fast, actually. Just have a little more faith and patience and it's going to be fine." he assured her.  
"And if anything comes up or if you have any questions, Oliver has my number. I'm available 24 hours." Dr. Bernstein got up and rounded his desk while he spoke, gently patting Felicity's shoulder.

"We'll set up monthly appointments to check on the improvements on your eyesight, would that be okay for you?"

"Yes." Felicity nodded with a smile.

"Now, would you let me have a look at your leg and wrist?" he asked her in a calm voice and Felicity's head shot up in confusion.

"Oh, I… I thought you would only be treating my eyes?"

"Oliver told me you were thinking about checking in at Starling General to get your broken bones checked. We could do that here, as well. Only if you're comfortable, of course."

"Yes!" Felicity blurted out with a smile on her face. "Yes, absolutely."

"Alright, Oliver, would you help Felicity over to the x-ray room? I'll send a nurse to help you with the walking cast and bandage wrap and set up the x-ray so we can have a close look at the bone structure in your leg." the Dr. smiled and made his way to the door. "I'll be with you in a few minutes."

As soon as they were back in the Doctor's office, Felicity's leg neatly wrapped in a bright pink bandage and her black walking cast, Dr. Bernstein came in and pinned the x-rays to the light bar, comparing them with the old x-rays from a few months ago.  
"Well…," the Doctor started after inspecting both pictures for a few moments, "it seems your bones have healed almost completely. In another week you can remove the walking cast and start walking around without it. Just make sure to keep the leg wrapped and make sure you start slow. I suggest physiotherapy to rebuild the muscles in your calf."

"She could train at the Starling Archers Centre! I have a great personal physiotherapist, I'm sure he can help Felicity as well." Oliver suggested.

"Well if that's okay for you, Felicity? I'd sure help you with your recovery." Dr. Bernstein told her.

"Uhm… I don't know… sure, why not?" she shrugged.

"Great. I'll make sure to hand Oliver your current medical file so he can forward it to the physiotherapist. He'll work out a schedule with you then." Dr. Bernstein told her.  
"Let's set up a date for the next check-up for both your eyes and your leg to 4 weeks from today. But please come in in two weeks so we can remove the bandage wraps on your wrist and leg. It won't be necessary to wear them longer than that." the Doctor smiled at her.

Oliver and Felicity made their way to the front desk after Dr. Bernstein left them. While they waited for the nurse to hand him the medical files for the physio, Oliver realized Felicity's silence.  
"Everything alright?" he asked her when he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

"Yeah, it's just a lot of information… I still need to process that, I guess." she shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"Let's get home and get on the couch. We'll figure things out later." Oliver told her before he placed a kiss to her temple. The nurse handed him a folder with a smile and they both made their way home after grabbing Lunch at Big Belly Burger on their way.

They spent the day talking about what Dr. Bernstein said and Felicity had to explain every detail again when Thea came over for a surprise visit. In the evening she gave Caitlin a call, letting her know about her healing process as well as asking for her relationship with Ronnie. Caitlin was very glad to hear about Felicity's improvement but didn't have much news when it came to Ronnie.  
"Work is keeping me busy, you know?"

"Cait, you really need to take more time for yourself. You know what all the work did to me, right? And Ronnie seems to be a really nice guy… don't shoo him away with all your work." Felicity laughed.

"You sound like me." Caitlin told her and Felicity couldn't help but giggle. But Caitlin was right. 2 years ago Felicity was the one who was drowning in her work when Cooper tried to ask her out for several weeks. If it hadn't been for Caitlin, Felicity would have never given him a chance. Now that she thought about it, she realized she should never have.

The letter from the Coast City Falcons arrived just in time before Oliver and Felicity got themselves ready to visit Helena. When they arrived in Fall City and got to the building where Helena's law office was located, the woman in question was already waiting for them.  
"Oh my god Felicity, are you alright?" Helena pulled her in a tight hug.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Felicity laughed when Helena let go of her. "Helena, this is Oliver – "

"Queen, I know who you are, it's a pleasure to meet you." Helena interrupted her, offering a hand to Oliver with a smile.

"Let's get inside and see how I can help you, and then you have to tell me what happened to you, Fee!"

They entered Helena's office and took a seat on the large leather couch. Oliver took a seat next to Felicity and held his files in a death grip, still feeling very uncomfortable sitting at a lawyer's office. He knew Felicity was right, that they had to consult a professional person to overlook the contract and annulment, but it made him feel uncomfortable nonetheless.  
"How can I help you, Fee?" Helena asked her when she took a seat opposite of the two.

"First of all, I need your absolute discretion in this matter. Nothing that we will tell you can make it out to the Media, or any person in general, for that matter." Felicity warned her.

"Of course. Are you in trouble, Fee?"

Felicity hesitated for a moment and looked at Oliver who held the files in one hand and her hand in his other. When she gave him a gentle squeeze, Oliver cleared his throat before he spoke up.  
"This isn't about Felicity, it's about me." he told her and Helena put her focus on Oliver now, listening closely.

It took Oliver more than 15 minutes to explain everything to Helena. She asked a few questions and took her time checking the contract and letter of confirmation that had been sent by the Coast City Falcons and with every passing minute of silence, Oliver got more and more nervous. He never let go of Felicity's hand while they sat in Helena's office and Felicity could feel the tension in his fingers and his palm becoming wet. She gave him an assuring squeeze and smiled at him under her sunshades.

"Well…" Helena suddenly spoke up and both Oliver and Felicity winced at the sudden break of silence. "So far it seems that this letter of confirmation is a legitimate one. The letter basically states that any agreements that have been made in the contract are invalid and the contract as it has been made on paper is no longer valid."  
She smiled at the pair and Felicity could feel Oliver visibly relax into the seat next to her.  
"Of course I will check everything again this evening to make sure there aren't any more hidden backdoors, but so far it seems as everything is lawful."

"But Oliver," Helena turned her attention fully to him when she spoke, "let me tell you that this isn't usually how they handle contracts. One of their Players is a client of mine and I can tell you, you surely are on the lucky side with this – " holding up the letter of confirmation while she spoke, "paper that they sent you. From what you told me, you would have had a hell of a time in that Team. Did you know you signed a 10-year contract with them?"

"What? I did not know that!" Oliver shot her a very surprised look.

Helena gave him a sympathetic laugh. "That's what I guessed. Look here, clause #23," she turned the contract in his direction and pointed to said clause with her pen and Oliver leaned closer to the desk.

"I'm guessing your emergency exit out of that contract would have been to accept, then play for their Team for a few months and drop out after 1 year."  
Oliver looked at her with surprise and Helena just smiled and nodded at him. "Because that's how I would have done it." she winked at him and both could hear Felicity chuckle from beside them.

"Now the problem is this… clause #23 states that they keep the legal rights on your name and career once you sign on their Team. That sounds perfectly normal on the surface because as long as you play for them, they earn all rights about you as a Player, like every other Team does, too. But that little sentence here is what it makes everything a bit tricky.  
 _'If the contracting party, here Oliver Queen, won't retire from his professional sporting career within the timeframe of 10 years, all rights remain with the Coast City Falcons and his respective stockholders.'_  
This sentence basically says that there's only two ways for you to get out of this contract… by retiring and I doubt that's what you have in mind at 28 years of age; or by quitting and looking for another Team. And that won't be possible because with this clause the Falcons can simply forbid you to sign up with any other Team in the NFL, because they basically own all rights about you for next 10 years. Your career would have been over if you wouldn't have decided to keep playing for the Falcons, Oliver."

Helena's voice became serious and both Oliver and Felicity stared at her in complete silence.  
"I didn't know that… I would have never signed any of that had I known it!" Oliver rambled out, his head spinning in confusion at what Helena just told him.

"Well then I guess you're lucky for receiving that letter from the Falcons." she smiled at them and leaned back in the chair.

"So that's it? Oliver doesn't have to worry about anything regarding this contract in the Future?" Felicity asked her.

"Like I said, I'll check everything again later tonight and will give you a call as soon as I worked my way through it. But so far I can give you an all-clear. Just, for the future, please don't sign any of these contracts again." Helena laughed and Oliver couldn't hold back a huff either.

"Oh trust me, I won't. I'm just glad I didn't quit my contract with the Starling Archers yet." he told her while Helena set up a file for Oliver and made copies of everything that he brought her.

They decided to head out for Dinner after that and Felicity took her time telling Helena about her accident and how she met Oliver during her vacation. They spent the entire afternoon in Fall City and when the sun started to set, it was time to say their goodbyes. Helena promised to call Felicity as soon as she worked her way through the papers to let her know if everything was fine before Felicity climbed into the Convertible next to Oliver.

Their way back home had been filled with chats about the contract and Felicity loved hearing Oliver talk so relaxed about the whole ordeal.  
"So I take it you're happy I asked Helena for help?" she grinned at him while she let her head rest on the cushions of the passenger seat.

"Yes. Very. Thank you for helping me with this, Felicity… really, I… I don't know what I could have done without your help." he sighed and grabbed her hand, interlacing fingers with her and letting it rest on the shift boot.

"Hey, I don't want to hear that guilt-laden, helpless voice any more, Mister!" she warned him and Oliver could just smile. "Like Helena said; everything's going to be fine." She smiled at him before she faced the road again, letting the wind mess with her hair until their arrived back in Starling City.

Helena's call later that evening confirmed that indeed everything was correct with the letter of confirmation and that the contract btween him and the Falcons has been forfeited. Oliver hadn't slept that good in several months.

The next two weeks flew by like crazy.

Felicity started treatments at the Starling Archers Centre after Oliver introduced her to his personal physiotherapist Max Fuller.  
Max checked Felicity's overall physics and studied her medical files before he arranged a personal training plan for her. She really enjoyed training at the Archers Centre, knowing she was close to Oliver while he was out on the field with his Teammates. Having some sort of schedule again, even if it was just some training hours twice a week also got her back into a normal life, at least sort of. Finally getting a feel back in her feet was helping as well and Max always made sure she didn't overuse her foot.

She also met John Diggle one day, one of Oliver's closest friends on the Team and his Offense Lineman on the field. Getting to know more of his friends and teammates gave Felicity more confidence about the relationship with Oliver.  
After her second training session she sat in the Lounge, waiting for Oliver to finish his Training when Diggle approached her. They fell into an easy conversation and Felicity asked him to explain his position on the field to her, apologizing for not knowing anything about Football. Diggle laughed and told her what his job was on the Team, when Oliver suddenly emerged from the locker rooms.

"So… let me get this straight," Felicity asked Diggle who had taken a seat next to her on the couch, "if it wasn't for you, Oliver would lay in the mud face down first alllll the time?" she giggled and Diggle couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Pretty much, yeah." he answered after a few moments.

Oliver kept watching the unusual pair from a distance for a few moments. His Felicity, barely 5,4' tall, sitting next to his gargantuan friend Diggle, who almost took 2/3 of the couch and basically towered over her. And yet Felicity sat there, completely relaxed, gesturing around with her arms, her skirt dangling above her knees, laughing and smiling while she spoke. If Oliver could love her any more, he'd do that just in that moment.

With a smile plastered on his face, he shouldered his bag and made his way to the two.  
"Speaking of the Devil," Diggle mumbled to her while Felicity laughed and giggled when Oliver approached them.

"Hey, beautiful," he said with a smile when he put his bag down next to hers.

"Oh you haven't called me like that in months no, baby!" a squealy, high pitched voice suddenly spoke up from next to her and Felicity burst out laughing.

"Shut it, Diggle!" Oliver told him with a laugh and pulled Felicity off the couch and into his arms, peppering her head with kisses. "Let's head home, shall we? I still need to get into town and get my tux fitted for the Gala and I won't have time for that later."

"Sure," Felicity replied after giving him some pecks on the lips. "I wanted to meet with Barry anyway, could you drop me off at the Police Station, maybe?"

"Yeah, sure… see you at Training tomorrow, Dig!" Oliver high-fived his friend and Felicity also waved him goodbye when they made their way out of the building and to the parking garage.

After stopping at home to get rid of their Sports bags and change into some fresh clothes, Oliver and Felicity made their way into the City. When they arrived at the Police Station, Captain Lance was waiting outside and Oliver gave him a quick nod when the Captain spotted him. When he got out of the car and helped Felicity up the stairs and into the building, he stopped to look around, searching for any sign of direction.

"Do you know where Barry's office is?" Oliver whispered into her ear when suddenly, Captain Lance spoke up from behind them.

"Can I help you with something?"

"My girlfriend is looking for her cousin, Barry Allen. Could you let us know where to find him?" Oliver asked him, trying to keep his voice as modest as possible.  
Oliver and Quentin Lance didn't have the best past, considering that Oliver 'dated' both his daughters at the same time and caused a lot of trouble and fight in the Lance household because of that.

"Your cousin Barry? You must be Felicity then," Cpt. Lance spoke with a polite voice and turned his attention away from Oliver. "I'll lead you to his office."

"Thank you." Felicity smiled and turned her attention to Oliver. "You don't have to wait for me, Barry will take me home. If something comes up, I'll call, promised. Now go and get that tux of yours fitted, I'm sure you'll look sexy as hell in it." she smiled at him and shooed him away when she put a hand on Lance's arm and started following him through the precinct.

The afternoon with Barry had been very relaxing for her. With all the activities she had on her schedule right now, even if it were just a few, she felt almost as independent again as she was before the accident. Being blind didn't feel as much as a burden any more as long as she could keep her mind occupied with other things such as physio, spending time with friends and family or talk wedding stuff with Laurel.

So for the afternoon, she took up Barry's offer and head out for Coffee and Muffins. He took her to Balzac Coffee, a small Coffee Shop in downtown Starling City that quickly turned into her favorite spot for Coffee and Muffins. She loved the atmosphere in the small store and the fact that the coffee tasted like heaven there made everything just perfect. So whenever Felicity went into town, a stop at Balzac Coffee had been obligatory.

She took the time to tell Barry about her treatments at the Archers Centre and Barry told her a few bits of the cases he was currently working on. When Felicity turned the topic to his relationship status and the fact that she heard him talk to a very lovely sounding 'Iris' just an hour ago, Barry audibly blushed.

"Speaking of Iris," he told her after he took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat, "I have something like a Date with her later at 8. Would it be okay if I take you home in half an hour?" Barry asked her hesitantly and Felicity just quirked an eyebrow at him with a grin.

"Well I sure don't want to cockblock my most favorite cousin," she grinned.

"You're not cockblocking me… and I'm your only cousin." Barry half mocked and Felicity had to giggle.

"Of course we can head home earlier, Barry! I'm happy you get to spend time with someone you like." she smiled at him "But if it works out between you two I want to meet her!" Felicity warned him with a pointed finger before she grabbed her bag and coat and slipped out of the booth.

Barry just laughed slightly and shook his head when she looped his arm through his and they made their way to his parked Truck on the other side of the building.

When she arrived back at the Loft, Oliver was already home and relaxed in the living room.  
"Oliver?" she called into the apartment, waiting for a reply from him when she shrugged off her coat and ballet flat.

"Couch!" was the only reply she got from him. With a smile on her face, Felicity feeled her way through the hall and made her way to the couch to have a seat next to him.

"Did you enjoy your afternoon with Barry?" Oliver asked her and pulled her into his lap with a hug.

"I did. Did you get your tux fitted?" she asked him when she relaxed her head onto his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

"I did."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? We could leave whenever you get uncomfortable and I'm sure –"

"Oliver," Felicity suddenly sat up, slipping out of his lap to have a seat next to him on the couch, her face straight. "we already had this conversation before, an Art Gala surely isn't the right place for a blind person! And I won't make myself uncomfortable by walking around there, permanently having to be plastered to your back, being surrounded by people I don't know, talking about Art I can't see. I'm sorry but this is not the right Event for a person in my condition. Especially not with all the Media presence that such an Event causes." she told him with a firm voice and Oliver frowned slightly.

"Thea would be there, too. And Tommy and Laurel will be there, as well." he tried again but Felicity immediately cut him off.

"Look, I know that you don't want to go to that Event, and I know you don't want to face your parents there, but even with Tommy, Laurel and Thea there, this is not my place to be, I'm sorry Oliver."

When she heard him sigh, she gently patted his arm.  
"I'm sure it's going to be fine. Walk around there for a few hours, talk to a few people, have a drink, say Hello to your parents and then leave when they start to bug you. It's not that they can force you to stay as long as they do." she assured him with a smile.

"You're probably right." Oliver exhaled lightly.

"Of course I am. When do you have to leave?"

"Friday evening at 7. The Event starts some time around 8. I'll meet with Thea and Mom at the Mansion so we'll drive there together. Dad will arrive some time later."

"Any idea how long you'll have to stay?"

"Not really, but as soon as I can skive off, I'll come back." he gently kissed her temple and pulled her into his arms again when they leaned into the couch cushions, feet propped up on the TV table.

"Guess I'm in for a boring evening then," Felicity slightly chuckled. "Barry will be on another Date with Iris and Thea, Tommy and Laurel won't have time for me either since they're with you… I think I'll call Caitlin then, see what she's up to." Felicity smiled.

When Oliver and Felicity got home from Training and physio on Friday afternoon, there wasn't much time for kissing and cuddling. Oliver had to get ready for the Gala and Moira had arranged a driver to pick him up at 6.30pm, meaning there was only a little over 30 minutes left to get ready.

Once she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, Felicity turned her attention to him. She got up and rounded the couch and waited for Oliver to close the distance between them.

She put her hands on his chest and let her fingers glide over the soft fabric of his jacket, feeling the button down shirt under it, covering his firm chest, moving with every beat of his heart.

"You smell so good, and that suit feels so… god, I would love to see you right now." she sighed when she put her heart on his chest. Listening to his heart beating had become one of Felicity's favorite sounds and whenever she got the chance to, she took it.

Oliver quickly grabbed the inside of his jacket and pulled out his phone. He opened the camera and snapped a selfie of them, Felicity with her head resting on his chest, her eyes closed. As quickly as he pulled out the phone and took the picture, as quickly he stashed the phone inside his suit jacket again.

"What are you doing?" she suddenly looked up at Oliver's movement.

"Oh, I was just checking the time." Oliver quickly lied. "The driver should pull up in 5 minutes."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Thea could lend you a dress, just come with me to the Mansion; we could get you ready in no time." Oliver asked her again, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt at that moment.

At that moment, Felicity pulled away from him, her face looking annoyed and on edge.  
"How many more times do I need to tell you that I am not going with you to that Event, Oliver?" she asked him, arms crossed over her chest after putting a small distance between them.

"I just –"

"NO, Oliver!" Felicity interrupted him, her voice sounding a little louder than she intended to and she could feel Oliver flinch a bit. "You have to respect my wishes in this. I wouldn't want you to do something for me that you're not comfortable with either, and I ask you to do the same for me." she told him and Oliver just nodded in defeat.

Just at that moment the doorbell rang and Oliver had to head downstairs. He gave Felicity a quick kiss on the forehead, not sure if she would be okay with getting kissed on the lips right now after their heated argument, and promised her he wouldn't stay long. She gave him a small smile and waited for the door to close before she slumped into the couch cushions again with a sigh.

She was in for a boring evening.

The Gala had been as boring as expected to Oliver. He kept his billionaire smile plastered on though and for the first 2 hours he shook more hands and had casual conversations than he could count, but if it wasn't for multiple Champagne flutes and Tommy's snotty side comments to him about some of some of Starlings 1-Percenters, Oliver would have already looked for a good escape route.

He had spotted Laurel, too, at some point, but unless himself she enjoyed Events like that. Plus, Tommy and her had been the center of attention for the last few months since their wedding announcement, and everyone kept bugging them with questions, so there wasn't much time to enjoy the evening with his best friends either.

At some point he tried to locate his sister, but when he spotted her, chatting with what seemed to be one of her High School friends, he also scrapped the idea of spending the evening with her. Which led him to his last available friend for the evening – the Bar.

"Scotch, neat, please." Oliver told the barman and as quickly as he had made the order, a Tumbler had been placed in front of him. After surviving almost 4 hours at the Event, he deserved himself a good drink… or two.

"Oliver," a familiar voice appeared from behind him, jerking him out of his thoughts, making him turn around. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Dad." Oliver tried to hide the annoyance in his voice when he faced his father for the first time in several weeks. "Well… you basically forced me to come. And I know how much Mom loves these Events, so…" he shrugged and took a sip of his Scotch.

"I see your Football Team found a new Sponsor again and you're still listed as their Team Member. So I assume you haven't taken into consideration what we talked about before you left to Spain with your mother and your sister?" Robert asked him with a reserved manner.

Oliver tried to hide the anger that slowly spiked up inside him. Ho took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves before he answered.  
"I have told you multiple times before and I will tell you again, Father… I love what I do and I have no intentions to change that."

Robert eyed his son for a moment before he slightly shook his head with a smirk and took a sip from his Drink.  
"You say you love what you do and yet you manage to get yourself so deeply in trouble." Robert told him, disdain clearly audible in his voice.

What are you talking about?" Oliver asked him, clearly confused and unsure what his father was meant.

"Isabel approached me last week," Robert started with a smirk on his face before grabbing Oliver by the arm, leading him into a less clouded corner by the bar, "and she told me what you did and how much that could affect your and her future."

Oliver completely froze at that statement. Could that be true? Could've Isabel really had the guts and approach his father about this? No matter what, Oliver decided not to give in so quickly.  
"WHAT are you talking about, Dad?" he snapped at his father, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"I am talking about the contract fiasco between you and that Football Team in Coast City, Son!" Robert snapped back and for a second Oliver was amazed how his father could sound so harsh and cold but yet keep his face completely free of any emotion.

At Robert's comment, Oliver couldn't hide the expression from his father any more. Pure shock covered his face, anger spiking up inside him more and more.  
"This is none of your business and Isabel had no right to talk to you about this. This is between her and me." Oliver gritted out, the grip on his Scotch tumbler tightening, knuckles turned white.

Robert let out an annoyed laugh. "You are my son and this is very much my business now as it is yours. Actually, I am glad that Isabel came to me with this. If this would have blown over or made it to the public, do you have any idea what that would have caused to our name, Oliver? To the whole family and not only you? Your ignorance and egoism when it comes to your responsibilities of being a Queen had always been beyond me, but this really takes the cake."

Oliver's head felt like it was spinning. Ever since he got the Sports Scholarship after High school and decided to focus on his Football career instead of taking place in the family Company like his father expected him to, Oliver tried to avoid Robert as much as possible. For good reason, as situations as the one he found himself in at that moment, proved to Oliver.  
Once again Robert Queen didn't hold back with his disapproval of his son's life and the choices he made. There had been fights in the past about that topic, plenty of them, actually, but Oliver never wavered; never regretted his decisions and never considered taking up his father's offer, which always left Robert Queen furious and usually ended the Dinner nights at the Queen Mansion with a sour taste when Oliver stormed out.

"It is time for you to finally accept your true responsibilities about being a Queen. I have tried long enough to make you understand and if this is the only way for you to finally realize it, then so be it." Robert told him with a firm voice. Oliver didn't know what to say, pure rage clouding his mind, ready to storm off and leave this goddamn Gala and just head back home. But with so many people around and the Media waiting outside, this wasn't the place to cause a scene and storm off. Even Oliver knew that.

"There are no responsibilities for me to accept, and definitely none in your Company, Father!" Oliver spat out, taking a step closer to Robert, every muscle in his body tense. "I have told you countless times now and I am done telling you I will not take up any place in YOUR Company. This is not what I want and sure not what I am looking for for my future, so save your breath!"

His father didn't give him much time to calm down though.  
"I don't think you fully understand, Oliver." Robert told him with an almost evil smile on his face. "Isabel didn't just come to me to tell me about the contract. I bailed you out of it!"

Every expression Oliver still had on his face fell at that moment. His mind went completely blank and if he wouldn't have kept his Scotch tumbler in a death grip, it would have shattered to the ground at that moment. He was barely able to keep listening to his father.

"I didn't pay the 5 million to show any good will towards your flawed actions, Son. I paid it to make you realize your Sport will only bring you trouble and won't get you anywhere in your life. Queen Consolidated however, will. Which is why you will start an internship at the Company by the beginning of next month. Once the semester break is over, you will also enroll at Starling University and start your Bachelor there."

Before Oliver could protest, Robert cut him off. "And this is non-negotiable, unless you have a way to pay back the fine to me, which I highly doubt." Robert smirked at his son and Oliver felt the strong urge to vomit. "You should thank me, Son. If I wouldn't give you this chance, your career would be over and your reputation pretty much ruined as well. And I don't even want to imagine the damage that you would have caused to the Queen name with this debacle. With my help you'll now have the chance on a Job with a stable future. That Football thing can always stay a Hobby of yours; I don't see a problem there." he smirked at Oliver who could only stare at his father in shock and utter disbelief. It felt like his father had pulled the rug out from under Oliver's feet.

Ever since Oliver left the High School and focused his career on his Sports, his father disapproved of his son more and more. Oliver never hid the fact that he wasn't interested in taking place in his father's Company, much to Robert's disdain. Even more so when Oliver became rather successful and moved out of the Mansion. He regularly tried to change his son's mind, trying to convince Oliver that a job at his family's Company was a much better choice than a Sport he wouldn't be able to do for longer than another 10 years.

"You can't force me to join your Company, Dad!" Oliver grit out, trying hard to control his temper in the room full of people.

Robert just laughed at him.  
"I just did, Son. There doesn't seem to be another way to finally get you to your senses, so this is the way it has to be now. I'm sure you'll realize soon that I'm just trying to help you. I expect to see you at my office by Monday to set up all details."

Robert raised his glass of Scotch with a smirk before he turned and walked away into the crowd.

"Fuck!" Oliver yelled and several people surrounding him turned their heads in surprise. He rubbed his face and took a deep breath before he downed the Scotch that he held in a death grip the entire time his father spoke to him.  
What just happened? Did his father just force him into the Company by paying for a mistake he should have taken care of himself? Did his father just force him to end his Career at the Starling City Archers? His head started spinning so badly, Oliver had to take a deep breath before he headed to the Bar again and steadied himself on the counter.

"Oliver, dear… is everything alright between Robert and you?" Moira approached him from behind while Oliver downed his fourth Scotch of the evening.

"Oh, everything is fucking perfectly fine!" Oliver snapped at her before he turned his attention to the barman again. "You can leave the bottle, thanks." Oliver told him when he received another refill.

Moira put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and gave it another try. "This is a public Event, Oliver; please watch your tone and the amount of alcohol you're consuming. We wouldn't want to give the press another headline, would we?" she spoke to him with a warm, calming tone but Oliver didn't stir. He grabbed the bottle and his tumbler and made his way to one of the balconies on the upper level.

"Right now, I don't give a crap for any headlights, Mom."

With that, he headed for the stairs and left Moira alone at the Bar.

As soon as he reached one of the more private balconies on the upper level of the building, he took a seat and loosened his bow tie. After taking a huge gulp of Scotch directly from the bottle, he pulled out his phone and tried calling Felicity. The only person he wanted to talk to right now couldn't be with him right now and Oliver was sure if she would have been, the evening would have went a lot smoother for him.

When he dialed her number and pressed call, he got a busy signal.  
'Awesome, now I try to reach her and she's talking to Caitlin.' he mumbled to himself before he took another large gulp.

After trying it a few more times, but always ending up hearing the busy signal instead of her voice, Oliver emptied the Scotch in one long gulp and made his way to the bar again, his gait already a bit unsteady. Tommy spotted him after a while and made his way over to Bar as well but when he reached it, Oliver was already leaving again, another bottle of Scotch in hand. Tommy just shook his head with a smile, making a mental note to give Oliver an extra early call the next morning, just to mess with his hangover-head.

When Oliver arrived back at the balcony again, a woman sat there, dressed in a long deep red gown, cigarette in hand.  
"You're sitting in my place." Oliver told her with a slight grumbly voice, not interested to find another quiet spot on the upper level.

"Oliver Queen." the woman suddenly turned her attention to him, flipping her cigarette off the balcony into the darkness.

"Do I know you?" he replied and squeezed himself into the bench next to her, trying to find his tumbler that he must have left there somewhere.

"We went to High School together... I sat in front of you in Math and Chem," she smiled at him. "I'm Amanda."

"Well Hi Amanda, have you seen my Scotch glass?" he slurred back and Amanda just chuckled.

"No, I haven't seen it, I'm sorry. But whatever, just drink from the bottle. Being a little rebellious at a boring Event like this is fun." she grinned at him.  
"That's why I keep smoking, by the way. My mother hates it. _'That's not lady-like Amanda. You'll risk your health, Amanda. Look how the Media will see you, Amanda.'_ " she mimicked her mother's voice and rolled her eyes.

"You say your own name a lot." Oliver just slurred back while he tried getting the cap off the bottle.

Amanda chuckled and took the bottle out of his lap. "Let me, we won't be getting anything to drink if you keep trying to get that bottle opened!"

"Get your own bottle, Lady! This one's mine!" he told her with a raised finger, failing to sound intimidating.

"Still the possessive type like back in High School, funny." Amanda laughed at him when she handed him the opened bottle. "Guess I need to get me my own bottle." she announced and got up off the seat and made her way to the stairs. Oliver just watched her leave and shook his head before he relaxed into the bench again and once again tried calling Felicity. When he was getting the busy signal instead of her voice again, he groaned in annoyance.

"Awesome, not even your own girlfriend wants to talk to you. Well done, Queen, well done. You've royally fucked up." he muttered to himself when he heard Amanda chuckle next to him.

His head shot up to her. "What?"

"You said you royally fucked up. Which is funny, since you're a Queen." She laughed and took a seat next to him again, placing a Magnum bottle of Champagne on the ground next to her, holding a filled flute in hand.

"Wow, where did you find that thing?" Oliver asked her when he spied the large bottle next to her feet.

"That? Oh… one of the waiters still owed me a favor." she winked and took a sip of the Champagne. "So… what makes you think you've royally fucked up?" she asked him casually, crossing her legs under the long dress, letting her back rest against the bench.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Oliver grumbled, twisting the half filled bottle in his hands.

"Oh come on… the whole Event is boring as it is. Let's have a little fun with reasons why we have fucked up! A story for a story!" Amanda announced with a grin. "I can even begin if you don't want to."

After a few moments, Oliver just nodded and waved a hand for her to start with a story.  
"Okay, let's see… last year my mother caught me making out with our neighbor."

"I don't see anything fucked up with that." Oliver told her, half confused, half annoyed.

"He was 14." she told him with a grin while she sipped on her Champagne flute.

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's what my mother said, too. Among other things." Amanda giggled. "Okay, now it's your turn."

Without thinking too much, Oliver told her the first story that came to mind. "I cheated on my girlfriend with her younger sister. And after we broke up and I started dating said younger sister, I cheated on her with her older sister again." he told her with a flat voice, and Amanda looked at him with something like – amusement?

"Oh." she told him with a laugh.

"Yeah well, I did hear more than that from them… twice. Both times." Oliver shrugged and couldn't keep a small grin from his face. "But we're cool now, except for their father. He still hates me."

"Could you blame him?" Amanda asked with a grin.

"Nope." Oliver replied before taking another large gulp from the bottle.

They talked for a few more minutes until an older woman came up the stairs and asked Amanda away.  
"The Miller's would like to talk to you, so could you please come downstairs and join me? This is not a Party. You can chat and drink anywhere else, right now I expect your presence at the Gala downstairs!" the older woman said in a firm voice that reminded Oliver of his father. Amanda just rolled her eyes and set the Champagne flute aside before she got up and headed downstairs.

"I'm sorry I have to leave again. If you feel bored, find me at the Bar downstairs." Amanda grinned at him when she got up and followed her mother back down to the Gala.

Oliver just shook his head and huffed a laugh.  
The entire evening had been an utter disaster. Starting with the heated argument at home with Felicity, the dispute with his father, not being able to reach his girlfriend and no friends that have time to kill the evening with him. Oliver knew the Event wouldn't be all fun and laughter, but he sure didn't expect such a fallout from it.

Oliver was deep in thoughts, recalling everything Robert had told him, when suddenly Tommy took a seat next to him on the bench.  
"You okay man?"

"Yup. I'm just done talking to all these idiots down there, answering the same shallow questions over and over again." he told Tommy before he took another gulp of Scotch.

"Want a ride? Laurel isn't feeling too well so we'll head out and I'm sure your parents would excuse you leaving with us." Tommy offered but Oliver shook his head.

"I honestly don't care what my parents would excuse of and what not. Thanks for the offer but you'd have to drive through the entire City to get to my Apartment and then back to yours. I'll call a cab a soon as I have this bottle finished." Oliver slurred and waggled the half filled bottle in his direction.

Tommy just shook his head with a smile and patted his shoulder when he got up from the bench.  
"Alright, take care buddy."

With that, Tommy walked back to the stairs. When he was out of sight, Oliver checked the bottle that he never let go of since he got it from the bartender. Less than half full – _'that shouldn't take too long'_ he muttered when he got up from the bench and slowly made his way down the stairs on slightly unsteady feet.  
"Why miss all the fun." he spoke to himself when he took one step at a time until he arrived at the main level again, the Gala still in full swing. Oliver made his way through the crowd and found a spot near the side entrance. He set the bottle aside and leaned onto the pillar, observing the crowd with blurred vision.

"God, I hate everyone in this room." he spoke to himself while he watched people talking, laughing and dancing.


End file.
